spinal
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
-
of or relating to the spine or the spinal cord
-
denoting a laboratory animal in which the spinal cord has been severed
a spinal rat
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of spinal
1570–80; < Late Latin spīnālis, equivalent to Latin spīn ( a ) spina + -ālis -al 1
Explanation
Spinal describes the area of the backbone. Your spinal cord, which is protected by the vertebrae of the backbone, connects the brain and the body. A spinal injury is serious because it affects the body’s ability to move and function. The adjective spinal comes up often in medicine. Spinal fluid acts as a cushion for your brain and spine; a spinal tap is a special kind of test for evaluating this fluid. Doctors and nurses often refer to anesthesia that's injected into the spine simply as a spinal. The adjective has been around since the 16th century, from the Late Latin spinalis. "pertaining to a thorn or the spine."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While Mr. Mangione suffered chronic back pain and had spinal fusion surgery, it remains unclear why he believed the system failed him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
When the data center issue first flared up last year, Bare was in the hospital with a severe spinal infection, fielding worried updates from her mother.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Harris, from Canada, was 15 and "on the verge of independence" when she sustained a life-altering spinal cord injury, leaving her tetraplegic and requiring round the clock care.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
Higher levels of amyloid-beta protein in blood and spinal fluid can indicate that less of the protein is being deposited in the brain as plaques.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026
It is impossible to be in this high spinal country without giving thought to the first men who crossed it, the French explorers, the Lewis and Clark men.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
