spicule
noun
[ ˈspɪkjuːl ]
• a minute sharp-pointed object or structure that is typically present in large numbers, such as a fine particle of ice.
• a short-lived, relatively small radial jet of gas in the chromosphere or lower corona of the sun.
Origin:
late 18th century: from modern Latin spicula, spiculum, diminutives of spica ‘ear of grain’.
