noun
spine
SPYNE/spaɪn/
The bony supporting column of the back.
The spine forms a gently curved column of connected bones.
Etymology
Latin spina originally meant “thorn” or “prickle” and also came to name the backbone. English inherited this anatomical use, so the connection between a thorn and the supporting column predates the English word.
In context
he was a small man middle-aged in dark with a stoop which was so marked that it was suggested some deformity of the spine
More examples
- The doctor examines her spine after the fall.
- The rail line forms the spine of the region's transportation network.
- She shows real spine by challenging the unfair rule.
- The title is printed on the spine of the book.
Forms
spine · spines
spinal adjective — Relating to the spine or spinal cord.
Similar words
- backbone
- The everyday name for the same column of bones.
- vertebral column
- The anatomical term emphasizing the spine's series of connected vertebrae.