spinal

1 of 2

adjective

spi·​nal ˈspī-nᵊl 

1

: of, relating to, or situated near the spinal column

2

a

: of, relating to, or affecting the spinal cord

spinal reflexes

b

: having the spinal cord functionally isolated (as by surgical section) from the brain

experiments on spinal animals

3

: of, relating to, or resembling a spine

spinal

2 of 2

noun

: a spinal anesthetic

Examples of spinal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

While first-round pick Broderick Jones has not lived up to his draft position — Pittsburgh did not pick up his fifth-year option and Jones’ outlook is unclear coming off spinal fusion surgery — the Steelers did hit on a number of mid-round picks. — Mike Defabo, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026

Latent symptoms frequently develop after the fact, manifesting as spinal soreness, neck stiffness, inflammation, wrist trauma from breaking the fall, hip discomfort, or concussion indicators such as disorientation, nausea, and photophobia. — Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2026

Noun

McCoy lives with severe spinal curvature disorder and a chest protrusion caused by a childhood surgery. — Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026

Carlos Betancur has a hip replacement and five herniated spinal discs. — Vera Lucia Pappaterra, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1944, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing spinal

• spinal canal
• spinal cavity
• spinal column
• spinal cord
• spinal ganglion
• spinal nerve
• spinal tap

Rhymes for spinal

• final
• pinal
• vinyl
• affinal
• anginal
• synclinal
• vaginal
• anticlinal
• entorhinal
• isoclinal
• polyvinyl
• transvaginal

Kids Definition

spinal

adjective

spi·​nal

ˈspīn-ᵊl

1

: of, relating to, or located near the backbone

2

: of, relating to, or affecting the spinal cord

Medical Definition

spinal

1 of 2 adjective

spi·​nal ˈspīn-ᵊl 

1

: of, relating to, or situated near the spinal column

2

a

: of, relating to, or affecting the spinal cord

spinal reflexes

b

: having the spinal cord functionally isolated (as by surgical section) from the brain

experiments on spinal animals

c

: used for spinal anesthesia

a spinal anesthetic

3

: made for or fitted to the spinal column

a spinal brace

spinally

-ē 

adverb

spinal

2 of 2 noun

: a spinal anesthetic