spinal column

American  

noun

1. the series of vertebrae in a vertebrate animal forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord; spine; backbone.

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spinal column British  

noun

1. Also called: spine.   vertebral column.   rachis.  Nontechnical name: backbone.  a series of contiguous or interconnecting bony or cartilaginous segments that surround and protect the spinal cord

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spinal column Scientific  

/ spī′nəl /

1. See vertebral column

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Etymology

Origin of spinal column

First recorded in 1830–40

Compare meaning

How does spinal-column compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• spinal cord vs. spinal column

Example Sentences

She also developed syringomyelia, which affects roughly eight in 100,000 people, in which cysts form on the spinal column.

From BBC • Aug. 19, 2025

After the first neck injury in 2019, Vander Esch was diagnosed with a narrow spinal column and underwent fusion surgery.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 15, 2024

He severed a nerve between my uterus and spinal column that reduced my pain and dramatically improved my quality of life.

From Slate • Aug. 7, 2023

This roughly 230-million-year-old Mbiresaurus is represented by a nearly complete skeleton, containing parts of the skull and spinal column and elements of both the front and hind legs.

From Scientific American • Aug. 31, 2022

“The reflex-arc response taking place in the upper ganglia of the spinal column requires several microseconds more in the humanoid robot than in a human nervous system.”

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick