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.
The court also heard that Nugent has a rare neurological condition - idiopathic transverse myelitis - caused by inflammation of the spinal cord.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
Arvinas is pursuing two candidates for Parkinson’s disease and for spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy, a rare disorder that leads to progressive muscle weakness and wasting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Jane Campbell, a peer in the House of Lords upper chamber, struggles to speak naturally due to spinal muscular atrophy, a condition that worsens over time.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
This protein is normally found in astrocytes, specialized cells that help support and maintain healthy function in the brain and spinal cord.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
Here we're somewhere in the middle of the head with the cortex above, the corpus callosum in the middle, and the brain stem descending to the spinal column.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
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