Dictionary.com

vertebra

[ vur-tuh-bruh ]
/ ˈvɜr tə brə /
See synonyms for: vertebra / vertebrae on Thesaurus.com

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

1570–80; <Latin: (spinal) joint, equivalent to verte(re) to turn (see verse) + -bra noun suffix
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, adverb

Word 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.