vertebrate

American  

[vur-tuh-brit, -brayt] / ˈvɜr tə brɪt, -ˌbreɪt /

adjective

1. having vertebrae; having a backbone or spinal column.

2. belonging or pertaining to the Vertebrata (or Craniata), a subphylum of chordate animals, comprising those having a brain enclosed in a skull or cranium and a segmented spinal column; a major taxonomic group that includes mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes.

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noun

• vertebrates
  plural

1. a vertebrate animal.

vertebrate British  

/ ˈvɜːtɪˌbreɪt, -brɪt /

noun

1. any chordate animal of the subphylum Vertebrata, characterized by a bony or cartilaginous skeleton and a well-developed brain: the group contains fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to the subphylum Vertebrata

vertebrate Scientific  

/ vûr′tə-brĭt,-brāt′ /

1. Any of a large group of chordates of the subphylum Vertebrata (or Craniata), characterized by having a backbone. Vertebrates are bilaterally symmetrical and have an internal skeleton of bone or cartilage, a nervous system divided into brain and spinal cord, and not more than two pairs of limbs. Vertebrates have a well-developed body cavity (called a coelom) containing a chambered heart, large digestive organs, liver, pancreas, and paired kidneys, and their blood contains both red and white corpuscles. Vertebrates include fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subvertebrate
  noun
• nonvertebrate
  adjective
• unvertebrate
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• vertebrates
  plural

Etymology

Origin of vertebrate

First recorded in 1820–30, vertebrate is from the Latin word vertebrātus jointed. See vertebra, -ate ¹

Explanation

A vertebrate is an animal that has a backbone and a skeleton. Vertebrate animals include humans. When you think about vertebrates, think about bones: this word has to do with animals that have a lot of bones, in the form of a skeleton. It especially refers to animals with a backbone, which protects their spinal cord. Vertebrates have many bones, including a skull which protects their brains, which tend to be large. People, dogs, horses, lizards, dogs, cats, and many other animals are in the vertebrate category. Animals without a backbone are called invertebrates.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vertebrate vertebrates

The researchers argue that its evolutionary remains survive today as the pineal gland, a small organ located deep within the vertebrate brain.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026

This unusual process may explain why vertebrate eyes are constructed so differently from the eyes of many other animals.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026

This evidence suggests that vertebrate eyes arose through this specific sequence of changes rather than evolving from the same structures that produced the eyes of insects, squid, and other animals.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026

Researchers say these impacts make it especially important to assess the risks on Mediterranean islands, where many unique invertebrate and vertebrate species are found nowhere else.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026

“Interesting. It’s difficult to observe if it’s chemiluminescent vertebrate or bioluminescent bacteria.”

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

The region’s rocks preserve fossils from different stages in the evolution of terrestrial vertebrates, including some of the oldest known dinosaurs and large predators that lived before the Age of Dinosaurs.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026

Archosaurs, in turn, are the lineage that encompasses two of the best-known groups of terrestrial vertebrates: crocodiles and dinosaurs, including birds.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026

In a study published in the journal Evolution, researchers from the American Museum of Natural History and Princeton University used mathematical models to examine how body size evolved among vertebrates.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026

Chai proposed that vertebrates may have lost this defense because they cannot easily repair the surrounding damage caused by ruptosis.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026

To begin with, they are the oldest of all land vertebrates.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

Related Words

• beast
• creature
• pet