barbellate bar·bel·late uncommon adjective 1. having or covered with protective barbs or quills or spines or thorns or setae etc. “a horse with a short bristly mane” “bristly shrubs” “burred fruits” “setaceous whiskers” Synonymsbarbedbriarybrierybristledbristlyburredburrypricklysetosesetaceousspinythorny Similararmed WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved.