- 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.
"For over a century, spontaneous object-based problem-solving has mostly been studied in vertebrates," says Loukola.
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
"There were no vertebrates, no trees, no leaves, no flowering plants, no plants with seeds," Marek said.
From Science Daily • Jun. 14, 2026
Like the wheel trees themselves, and the way their bodies are formed—they’re not vertebrates, they don’t have a spine.
From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
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.
