What does "horny" mean?

1. (hard or bony) hard and tough, like the material of an animal's horn. 2. (having horns) having horns on the head.

horny

adj.

US //ˈhɔɹni// UK //hˈɔːni// horny

1 hard or bony (adj.)
C1 Advanced Technical Science

hard and tough, like the material of an animal's horn.

consisting of or resembling horn; having a hard, callous, or bony texture.

Example

The lizard has a horny layer of skin that protects it from the dry desert heat.

Example

The specimen was identified by the horny protrusions along its spine, which serve as a primary defense mechanism against larger predators.
- soft
2 having horns (adj.)
C2 Proficiency Literary

having horns on the head.

bearing horns or horn-like appendages.

Example

The old stories describe a horny beast that lived deep in the forest.

Example

Ancient myths often depict the deity as a horny figure, symbolising both wild nature and fertility.
- horned

Etymology 1

From Middle English horny, equivalent to horn + -y. Compare German hornig. Compare also Dutch hoornachtig, Swedish hornaktig, Old English hyrniġ (“angular”). Piecewise doublet of corny.

Etymology 2

From the horn (“an erect penis”) + -y (“having the quality of”). The adjective originally meant "erect", but was later was broadened to refer not only to sexual arousal but also to sexual desire in general.