spinal nerve

noun

plural spinal nerves

: any of the paired nerves which leave the spinal cord of a craniate vertebrate, supply muscles of the trunk and limbs, and connect with the nerves of the sympathetic nervous system, which arise by a short motor ventral root and a short sensory dorsal root, and of which there are 31 pairs in humans

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

In this view, magnified 10,000 times, myelin encases the axons of a mouse’s spinal nerve root, part of the spinal cord that communicates with the brain. —Ernie Mastroianni, Discover Magazine, 8 June 2017

Scaroni suffered the most serious injuries from the accident, severing her thoracic spinal nerve when she was thrust forward by the impact, paralyzing her below the waist. —Scooby Axson, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2022

This study redesigned technology originally used to alleviate pain to target spinal nerve roots. —Tasnim Ahmed, CNN, 7 Feb. 2022

Any disease involving the lumbar spinal nerve root, compressing or irritating it, can cause a person to have nerve root compression, reports Emory Healthcare. —Sarah Fielding, Health.com, 20 Sep. 2021

So Ayala put spinal nerves from a mouse in a dish next to human prostate cancer cells. —Kelly Servick, Science | AAAS, 12 Sep. 2019

The epidural space, which is the outermost part of the spinal canal, contains spinal nerve roots and loose connective tissue. —David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, 25 Sep. 2018

Researchers plan to enroll patients with lower back and leg pain brought on by sciatica, or compression of spinal nerves. —Sam Wood, Philly.com, 22 Feb. 2018

The procedure enlarges the passageway where the spinal nerve exits the spinal canal. —Dave Clark, Cincinnati.com, 15 Feb. 2018

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Word History

First Known Use

1683, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

spinal nerve

noun

: any of the paired nerves which arise from the spinal cord and pass to various parts of the body and of which there are normally 31 pairs in human beings

Medical Definition

spinal nerve

noun

: any of the paired nerves which leave the spinal cord of a craniate vertebrate, supply muscles of the trunk and limbs, and connect with the nerves of the sympathetic nervous system, which arise by a short motor ventral root and a short sensory dorsal root, and of which there are 31 pairs in humans classified according to the part of the spinal cord from which they arise into 8 pairs of cervical nerves, 12 pairs of thoracic nerves, 5 pairs of lumbar nerves, 5 pairs of sacral nerves, and one pair of coccygeal nerves