horny

Everyday

1. Hard, rough and tough like horn: horny skin, a horny beak. tree →
2. Having horns: horny-headed. tree →
3. (rude, adult slang) a rude word grown-ups use; not for school or for children to use. tree →

In the lessons

In science and nature lessons: a turtle's horny beak, horny plates on reptiles, horny skin on feet. The slang sense is adult and rude, so in a school text it usually means hard like horn. Phrases: a horny beak, horny scales.

Examples

• Turtles have no teeth, only a horny beak. tree →
• The gardener's hands were horny from years of work. tree →
• Rhino horn is made of a horny material like fingernails. tree →
• Reptiles are covered in horny scales. tree →
• Horny skin on your heel can be softened with cream. tree →
• The beetle has a horny shell. tree →

Note

Trap: in modern everyday English the slang (adult) meaning is common, so people may giggle; in science the word means hard like horn. Safer school words: hard, tough, keratin.