spinal

American  

[spahyn-l] / ˈspaɪn l /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to a spine or thornlike structure, especially to the backbone.

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noun

1. Medicine/Medical. a spinal anesthetic.

spinal British  

/ ˈspaɪnəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the spine or the spinal cord

2. denoting a laboratory animal in which the spinal cord has been severed

   a spinal rat

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noun

1. short for spinal anaesthesia

Other Word Forms

• interspinal adjective
• nonspinal adjective
• prespinal adjective
• spinally adverb

Etymology

Origin of spinal

1570–80; < Late Latin spīnālis, equivalent to Latin spīn ( a ) spina + -ālis -al ¹

Example Sentences

But first, Atlantis Hospital referred the toddler to Euracare for pre-flight investigations, including an MRI and a spinal tap, or lumbar puncture.

From BBC

White matter is made up of long nerve fibres that link different parts of the brain and spinal cord, allowing electrical signals to travel back and forth.

From Science Daily

Part of the fault for the spinal injury lay with Tipping, who chose not to wear safety headgear before taking part in the training, McGuire argued.

From Los Angeles Times

She has been taking the medicine for over 30 years to help her cope with the pain caused from five spinal surgeries.

From BBC

He’s four months removed from disk replacement surgery in his lower back — the same back that has endured six other operations, including spinal fusion in 2017.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• opiate