English Explanatory Dictionary

vertebra

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun

Any of the bony or cartilaginous segments which make up the backbone, consisting in some lower vertebrates of several distinct elements which never become united, and in higher vertebrates having a short more or less cylindrical body whose ends articulate by pads of elastic or cartilaginous tissue with those of adjacent vertebrae and a bony arch that encloses the spinal cord.

Pronunciation

/ˈvɜː.tɪb.ɹə/ /ˈvɝ.təb.ɹə/ /ˈvɝ.təˌbɹeɪ/ en-us-vertebra.ogg

Word forms

vertebra vertebrae vertebræ vertebras

Etymology

Borrowing from Latin vertebra (“a joint”), from vertō (“to turn”) + -bra (instrumental nominal suffix). Having multiple vertebrae (plural of vertebra) in one's backbone instead of having a single bone or solid spine, allows for the movement of the body with bends and turns. Hence meaning 1.

Synonyms

spondyle vertebra

Related words

vertebrally coccyx

Derived words

cervical vertebra coccygeal vertebra hemivertebra lumbar vertebra prevertebra protovertebra sacral vertebra thoracic vertebra vertebral vertebraless vertebrate vertebro- vertebr-

This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.

Back to search All on V Russian dictionary Dahl dictionary