oxea
/ˈɒksɪə/Zoology
noun
In sponges: a needle-shaped spicule which is pointed at both ends.
Origin
Late 19th century. From ancient Greek ὀξέα (Ionic (Attic ὀξεῖα); also as a variant reading in Hippocrates), feminine (agreeing with ῥάβδος) corresponding to ὀξύς sharp.