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 team analyzed gene activity in neurons that connect the brain and spinal cord.
From Science Daily • May 29, 2026
They then observed axons from the brain tissue growing across the gap and connecting with the spinal cord tissue.
From Science Daily • May 29, 2026
White and her daughter, who has cerebral palsy, were waiting in the bay for her husband to bring his car around when Mackay arrived for a consultation with a spinal surgeon.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
In Boston, Marybeth Oskowski turned to acupuncture as part of a treatment plan for her terrier mix, Maddie, following a spinal injury.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026
The very first chords which Mademoiselle Reisz struck upon the piano sent a keen tremor down Mrs. Pontellier’s spinal column.
From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin
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.
