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

Oh my God, yeah, I'll probably need to order a new spine, I think, after the weekend.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026

Yet, even as a journalist who covers public health, every time I hear about a case of “the plague,” I get a little shiver down the spine.

From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2026

“That decrease in the weight definitely slows down progression of degeneration in the spine or in the joint.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

This will form the spine of the story, and in a way its point.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

Two’s red eyes shined with a fear so piercing, it sent a shiver up Clare’s spine.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

At the university, shelves groan with jagged pieces of spines, necks and legs that to an untrained eye resemble battered stones.

From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026

Participants were handed a faixa—a long sash to wrap around their waists to protect their spines and give climbers a toehold.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 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

"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

Anya grabbed one of his spines, surprised at how smooth it was.

From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack

Related Words

• bone
• vertebrae