intervertebral disk

American  

noun

Anatomy.

1. the plate of fibrocartilage between the bodies of adjacent vertebrae.

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intervertebral disk Scientific  

/ ĭn′tər-vûr′tə-brəl /

1. A broad disk of cartilage that separates adjacent vertebrae of the spine and acts as a shock absorber during movement.

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Etymology

Origin of intervertebral disk

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

One day, when she picked up a heavy box, she tore an intervertebral disk in her back.

From The New Yorker • Oct. 10, 2019

The aortic arch descends toward the inferior portions of the body and ends at the level of the intervertebral disk between the fourth and fifth thoracic vertebrae.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013