- plural of vertebrate.
vertebrates
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Human beings are vertebrates.
The five traditional class es of vertebrates are amphibians, birds, fishes, mammals, and reptiles. (Compare invertebrates.)
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.
In particular, competition with early small mammals could have prevented dinosaurs from moving into the mouse-sized and sparrow-sized niches that are filled by many vertebrates today.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026
They lure mosquitoes with carbon dioxide—all vertebrates release the gas with each exhale, so to mosquitoes, it usually signals a meal.
From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026
In vertebrates, the retina is closely linked to the brain because it developed from brain tissue during evolution.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
They also feed on a broad range of native animals, including important pollinators such as honeybees as well as protected small vertebrates like tree frogs and lizards.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
To begin with, they are the oldest of all land vertebrates.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
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.
