invertebrate
Americanadjective
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Zoology.
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not vertebrate; without a backbone.
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of or relating to creatures without a backbone.
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without strength of character.
noun
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an invertebrate animal.
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a person who lacks strength of character.
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of invertebrate
From the New Latin word invertebrātus, dating back to 1820–30. See in- 3, vertebrate
Explanation
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. Invertebrate animals include fruit flies and sea sponges. Your backbone allows you to stand up straight, and it also allows you to be grouped with the other vertebrates: animals with backbones. Invertebrates are the opposite: they have no backbone. These are the two major groups of animals. Also, this word is used for people who are spineless in the sense of having no courage. You could say a coward acts in an invertebrate way. Whether it's a backbone-free animal or a courage-free person, all invertebrates lack spines.
Vocabulary lists containing invertebrate
Tyrannosaurus Lex(icon)
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Life Science: Organisms and Taxonomy
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Animals (Zoology) - Introductory
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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.
See Examples For:
McLaren echoed the love for the marine invertebrate.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Researchers say these impacts make it especially important to assess the risks on Mediterranean islands, where many unique invertebrate and vertebrate species are found nowhere else.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
"So many of the other animals and the plants rely on the invertebrate communities, so they're going to be impacted hugely by that reduction in number," Fisher said.
From BBC ● May 2, 2026
The findings address a long-standing gap in understanding how both vertebrate and invertebrate eyes continue growing and sustaining themselves.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 2, 2025
The invertebrate eye was invented into an optical instrument at the MBL, opening the way to modern visual physiology.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
But we show that if you could identify it, you’d have a level playing field to compare humans, invertebrates, and computers.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 5, 2026
It is the largest seizure of illegal exotic invertebrates, authorities said.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
Space4Nature said some 350 volunteers had been trained in ecological surveys for both invertebrates and vegetation.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026
Meiofauna are tiny invertebrates measuring less than one millimeter long.
From Science Daily ● May 12, 2026
Offshore, an unfinished break wall was home to kelp beds and invertebrates.
From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen
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.
