spina bifida

[ bif-i-duh ]

/ ˈbɪf ɪ də /

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noun Pathology.

a congenital neural tube defect in which part of the meninges or spinal cord protrudes through the spinal column, often resulting in neurological impairment.

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Origin of spina bifida

1710–20; <New Latin, Latin: cloven backbone

Words nearby spina bifida

spilt, spilth, spim, spin, spina, spina bifida, spina bifida aperta, spina bifida cystica, spina bifida manifesta, spina bifida occulta, spinaceous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use spina bifida in a sentence

Paralyzed from the waist down since birth because of spina bifida, this 32-year-old wheelchair track and field powerhouse already has 17 Paralympic medals, including six from Rio.
Everything You Need to Know About the Paralympics|awise|August 23, 2021|Outside Online
They encourage the proliferation of bifida, a very important kind of bacteria.
It’s the End of the World Unless We All Start Cooking|Rachel Khong|April 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The course was divided down the centre by a low wall, called the spina, which was adorned with various sculptures.
Architecture|Thomas Roger Smith
At the age of twenty-two, Ancilla turned a dancer and Spina became a singer.
The Memoires of Casanova, Complete|Jacques Casanova de Seingalt

Along the transverse axis ran a fence (spina) separating the return course from the starting one.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 4|Various
The sentence is very obscure, but the allusion must be to the dolphins, the figures of which were placed upon the spina.
The Letters of Cassiodorus|Cassiodorus (AKA Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus Senator)
It seems that in a corresponding place near the other end of the spina figures of dolphins were used for the same purpose.
The Letters of Cassiodorus|Cassiodorus (AKA Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus Senator)

British Dictionary definitions for spina bifida

spina bifida

/ (ˈspaɪnə ˈbɪfɪdə) /

noun

a congenital condition in which the meninges of the spinal cord protrude through a gap in the backbone, sometimes causing enlargement of the skull (due to accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid) and paralysis

Word Origin for spina bifida

New Latin; see spine, bifid

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for spina bifida

spina bifida

[ bĭf′ĭ-də ]

A congenital defect in which the spinal column is imperfectly closed so that part of the meninges or spinal cord may protrude, often resulting in neurological disorders.hydrocele spinalis

Scientific definitions for spina bifida

spina bifida

[ spī′nə bĭf′ĭ-də ]

A congenital defect caused by incomplete formation of the neural tube, in which the vertebral column is not fully closed, resulting in protrusion of the meninges and sometimes the spinal cord. Damage to the exposed spinal cord can cause neurological abnormalites, including paralysis.

Cultural definitions for spina bifida

spina bifida

A congenital condition that involves an imperfectly closed spinal column, often resulting in neurological disorders.