vertebrate

American  

[vur-tuh-brit, -breyt] / 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

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

• nonvertebrate adjective
• subvertebrate noun
• unvertebrate adjective

Etymology

Origin of vertebrate

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

Example Sentences

"We now have the tools to map aging continuously in a vertebrate," she said.

From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026

"On average, morphologically based species of fishes, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and other vertebrate groups all seemed to be hiding around two cryptic species."

From Science Daily • Mar. 3, 2026

The findings indicate that global vertebrate biodiversity may be far greater than current estimates, raising important questions about how many species remain undocumented and unprotected.

From Science Daily • Mar. 3, 2026

Each vertebrate species has its own version of this genetic marker.

From Science Daily • Jan. 15, 2026

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

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

Related Words

• beast
• creature
• pet