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 a man in Tunbridge Wells, who is recovering from a spinal injury, told the BBC that he had not had any deliveries of bottled water, despite being on the list.

From BBC

Current biomarkers found in spinal fluid or blood can detect beta amyloid plaques and tau tangles, proteins that accumulate in the brain and are believed to drive Alzheimer's symptoms.

From Science Daily

"Depending on the amplitude and frequency of the vibration, we can either excite or inhibit neurons in the spinal cord," he said.

From Science Daily

Demyelination is the process in which the myelin sheath -- a protective, insulating layer surrounding nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord -- is damaged or destroyed.

From Science Daily

A study published on December 23, 2025, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, examined how age may influence recovery following a spinal cord injury.

From Science Daily

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