spine

American  

[spahyn] / spaɪn /

noun

• spines
  plural

1. the spinal or vertebral column; backbone.

2. any backbonelike part.

3. a stiff, pointed process or appendage on an animal, as a quill of a porcupine, or a sharp, bony ray in the fin of a fish.

4. something, as a quality or trait, that constitutes a principal strength; resolution; stamina; backbone.

   a situation that would test a person's spine.

5. a ridge, as of ground or rock.

6. a sharp-pointed, hard or woody outgrowth on a plant; thorn.

7. Bookbinding. the back of a book cover or binding, usually indicating the title and author.

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spine British  

/ spaɪn /

noun

1. the spinal column

2. the sharply pointed tip or outgrowth of a leaf, stem, etc

3. zoology a hard pointed process or structure, such as the ray of a fin, the quill of a porcupine, or the ridge on a bone

4. the back of a book, record sleeve, etc

5. a ridge, esp of a hill

6. strength of endurance, will, etc

7. anything resembling the spinal column in function or importance; main support or feature

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spine Scientific  

/ spīn /

1. See vertebral column

2. Any of various pointed projections, processes, or appendages of animals.

3. A sharp-pointed projection on a plant, especially a hard, narrow modified leaf, as on a cactus, that is adapted to reduce water loss.

4. Compare thorn See more at leaf

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• spined
  adjective
• spinelike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• spines
  plural

Etymology

Origin of spine

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin spīna thorn, backbone

Explanation

Your spine is your backbone. When you sit and stand with your spine straight, people will compliment you on your good posture. Besides being the basic part of a vertebrate's skeleton, a spine is also a sharp spike, like the spines on a sea urchin or a cactus. Another kind of spine is the "backbone" of a book, the part of its cover that you can read when the book is on a bookshelf. Spine comes from the Latin spina, which also means both "backbone" and "thorn."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

spine spines

Iron, a realistic-looking robot with electronic skin and a bionic spine, could deliver a hardware gross margin of more than 50%, said Gu, who is also vice chairman of the Guangzhou-based company.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

People with osteoarthritis often feel the most pain in weight-bearing joints such as the knees, hips and spine.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026

Gibby described the police conclusion as "unbelievable", saying Griff was "very frail" and had a curvature of the spine, which affected his hand and made it "almost claw-like".

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

So does the glowing inhibitor on his spine, which seems to ask if we’re too quick to prescribe medication for our problems.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

He had the straight spine of a dancer but wore ordinary clothes and a tool belt, and his close-cropped beard was shot with gray.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has said that young people should stiffen their spines and embrace hardship.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026

Cheesy words in normal circumstances, but that was the moment our spines began to tingle and we knew we were about to witness history.

From BBC ● Apr. 1, 2026

The current crisis in Iran has sent memories bubbling to the surface for the collective, and chills down the spines of viewers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2026

"Bones are overly smooth, spines unnaturally straight, lungs overly symmetrical, blood vessel patterns excessively uniform, and fractures appear unusually clean and consistent, often limited to one side of the bone."

From Science Daily ● Mar. 26, 2026

He walked around the living room, reading the spines of Hollis's books and looking at framed photographs.

From "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green

Related Words

• bone
• vertebrae