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spina

American  
[spahy-nuh] / ˈspaɪ nə /

noun

Anatomy, Zoology.
spinae plural
  1. a spine or spinelike projection.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of spina

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin spīna thorn, backbone; see 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.

See Examples For:

Her son, who is referred to as J.M. in the complaint, is nonverbal and autistic and has spina bifida and hydrocephalus.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 8, 2026

Memoirs like Riva Lehrer’s Golem Girl, about spina bifida, and Jami Lin Nakamura’s The Night Parade, about mental illness, use monsters and monstrosity to discuss disability.

From Slate Oct. 28, 2024

The 21-year-old was born with spina bifida - a spinal defect - and hydrocephalus, which is a neurological disorder that causes water to gather around her brain.

From BBC Oct. 9, 2024

Cases of spina bifida dropped 31% and anencephaly declined by 16% after the fortification mandate, according to a federal study cited in the journal Teratology.

From Seattle Times May 15, 2024

The course was divided down the centre by a low wall, called the spina, which was adorned with various sculptures.

From Architecture Classic and Early Christian by Smith, T. Roger (Thomas Roger)

Similar to the erector spinae muscles, the semispinalis muscles in this group are named for the areas of the body with which they are associated.

From Textbooks Jun. 19, 2013

The erector spinae group forms the majority of the muscle mass of the back and it is the primary extensor of the vertebral column.

From Textbooks Jun. 19, 2013

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