vertebra
[ vur-tuh-bruh ]
/ ˈvɜr tə brə /
noun, plural ver·te·brae [vur-tuh-bree, -brey], /ˈvɜr təˌbri, -ˌbreɪ/, ver·te·bras.Anatomy, Zoology.
any of the bones or segments composing the spinal column, consisting typically of a cylindrical body and an arch with various processes, and forming a foramen, or opening, through which the spinal cord passes.
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Origin of vertebra
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for vertebra
British Dictionary definitions for vertebra
vertebra
/ (ˈvɜːtɪbrə) /
noun plural -brae (-briː) or -bras
one of the bony segments of the spinal column
Derived forms of vertebra
vertebral, adjectivevertebrally, adverbWord Origin for vertebra
C17: from Latin: joint of the spine, from vertere to turn
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Medical definitions for vertebra
vertebra
[ vûr′tə-brə ]
n. pl. ver•te•bras
Any of the bones or cartilaginous segments of the spinal column, usually 33 in number.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific definitions for vertebra
vertebra
[ vûr′tə-brə ]
Plural vertebrae (vûr′tə-brā′, -brē′) vertebras
Any of the bones that make up the vertebral column. Each vertebra contains an arched, hollow section through which the spinal cord passes. In humans, the vertebrae are divided into cervical, thoracic, and lumbar sections, and the sacrum and coccyx are both made up of a series of fused vertebrae. The vertebrae are separated by cartilaginous intervertebral disks. See more at skeleton.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.