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

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

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

One surprising finding is that domestic cats are the leading vertebrate predator of these invasive mantises, accounting for 45% of recorded positive predation events.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026

"Amphibians are the fastest-declining vertebrate group globally," she said.

From BBC ● May 31, 2026

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

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

According to the researchers, this animal's central eye eventually contributed to the development of the paired eyes used by vertebrates today.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026

Overall, the results suggest that spontaneous, goal directed problem solving can emerge even in animals with brains far smaller than those of the vertebrates that have traditionally been studied in intelligence research.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 3, 2026

The discovery, made in mice by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, points to a brain system that is shared by all vertebrates, including humans.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 24, 2026

It presents analysis of rare fossils which scientists say fill knowledge gaps on the development of the creatures that gave rise to the first land-dwelling vertebrates.

From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026

The body plans of vertebrates depend on this property: if hemoglobin’s capacity to deliver oxygen to distant sites was disrupted, our bodies would be forced to be small and cold.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Related Words

• beast
• creature
• pet