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.
Then in August, the shares plunged after the agency placed the therapy on clinical hold when spinal scans turned up abnormalities in some trial participants.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
"For the first time, we have shown that neutrophils play a massive, active role in successfully repairing a spinal cord," says Prof. Thomas Becker, who led the study.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 8, 2026
Meningitis is an infection and swelling of the fluid and membranes around the brain and spinal cord, according to the Mayo Clinic.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
Scans showed Bonnie had a serious back injury and a painful spinal condition.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
They could use X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs to locate the bullet, reveal the damage to his ribs and vertebrae, and show that his organs and spinal cord were uninjured.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
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.
