vertebra

[ vur-tuh-bruh ]

/ ˈvɜr tə brə /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR vertebra 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.

Nearby words

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. 2019

Examples from the Web for vertebrae

Doctors around the world drive them into the vertebrae of patients with devastating back injuries.
Patients Screwed in Spine Surgery ‘Scam’|The Center for Investigative Reporting|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
You see, the spine is a row of vertebrae that was designed to be horizontal.
Why Is Louis C.K. So Funny? He Uses Humor as a Moral Compass.|Andrew Romano|May 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They reportedly got back together a few months later after Soffer injured his vertebrae in a helicopter crash.
Elle Macpherson Remarries; "Bling Ring" Copycats Attempt to Rob Paris Hilton|The Fashion Beast Team|August 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The vertebral column is very long, consisting of some sixty vertebrae.
The Vertebrate Skeleton|Sidney H. Reynolds

Each of the first five vertebrae has a prominent, vertical, abruptly terminated neural spine, and straight transverse processes.
The Vertebrate Skeleton|Sidney H. Reynolds
The bones found were the pelvis—that is, the two hipbones—and six vertebrae, or joints of the backbone.
The Vanishing Man|R. Austin Freeman
The frowning surgeon supposed the fellow was trying to sever the vertebrae.
The Sea and the Jungle|H. M. Tomlinson
The vertebrae are very numerous, short and deeply biconcave, imparting great flexibility to the backbone as in fishes.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 14, Slice 3|Various

British Dictionary definitions for vertebrae

vertebra

/ (ˈvɜːtɪbrə) /

noun plural -brae (-briː) or -bras

one of the bony segments of the spinal column

Derived Formsvertebral, 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

Word Origin and History for vertebrae

vertebra

1610s, from Latin vertebra "joint or articulation of the body, joint of the spine" (plural vertebræ), perhaps from vertere "to turn" (see versus) + instrumental suffix -bra. The notion is of the spine as the "hinge" of the body.

Medicine definitions for vertebrae

vertebra

[ vûr′tə-brə ]

n. pl. ver•te•bras

Any of the bones or cartilaginous segments of the spinal column, usually 33 in number.

Science definitions for vertebrae

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.