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vertebrate
[ vur-tuh-brit, -breyt ]
/ ˈvɜr tə brɪt, -ˌbreɪt /
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adjective
having vertebrae; having a backbone or spinal column.
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.
noun
a vertebrate animal.
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Origin of vertebrate
OTHER WORDS FROM vertebrate
non·ver·te·brate, adjective, nounsub·ver·te·brate, noun, adjectiveun·ver·te·brate, adjectiveWords nearby vertebrate
vertebra, vertebral, vertebral canal, vertebral column, Vertebrata, vertebrate, vertebrated, vertebrates, vertebration, vertebratus, vertex
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use vertebrate in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for vertebrate
vertebrate
/ (ˈvɜːtɪˌbreɪt, -brɪt) /
noun
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
adjective
of, relating to, or belonging to the subphylum Vertebrata
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
Scientific definitions for vertebrate
vertebrate
[ vûr′tə-brĭt, -brāt′ ]
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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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