vertebral column
Americannoun
noun
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The series of vertebrae extending from the base of the skull to the tip of the tail that forms the supporting axis of the body in vertebrate animals. In humans and tailless apes, the vertebral column ends with the coccyx (tailbone). It encloses and protects the spinal cord and provides a stable attachment for the muscles of the trunk.
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Also called backbone spinal column, spine
Etymology
Origin of vertebral column
First recorded in 1815–25
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Our vertebral column has evolved little from our four-legged, quadrupedal tree-dwelling ancestors, where it functioned primarily as a flexible beam for smooth movement from branch to branch, while also protecting the spinal cord.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
The team found part of the dinosaur's skull, a complete vertebral column extending to the tail, and nearly intact forelimbs and hindlimbs, said CONICET.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2025
They also used two-dimensional shape analysis techniques to examine variation in the spatial distribution of mineral structures along the vertebral column.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 17, 2024
It is early days, but we have used gastruloids to study the process of somitogenesis, the process that generates the vertebral column and the muscles.
From Scientific American ● Nov. 9, 2023
In the cetaceans—for example, the dolphin—because of the absence of posterior limbs, the pelvis is represented by two separate bones only, which have no connection with the vertebral column.
From Artistic Anatomy of Animals by ?douard Cuyer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
