spinal column

American  

noun

spinal columns plural

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

---

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

---

spinal column Scientific  

/ spī′nəl /

1. See vertebral column

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• spinal columns
  plural

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

The cells are processed in a lab with biological proteins designed to promote nerve growth, and then injected into the spinal column.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 25, 2023

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

All are female Texas residents in their 30s to their 50s, and all had undergone surgeries in Matamoros that involved an epidural: an anesthetic injection around the spinal column.

From Scientific American • May 22, 2023

Here we're somewhere in the middle of the head with the cortex above, the corpus callosum in the middle, and the brain stem descending to the spinal column.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman