vertebra

noun ver·te·bra \ ˈvər-tə-brə , -ˌbrā \

|Updated on: 18 Jun 2018

Definition of vertebra

plural vertebrae play \ˈvər-tə-ˌbrā, -(ˌ)brē, -brə\ or vertebras

: one of the bony or cartilaginous segments composing the spinal column, consisting in some lower vertebrates of several distinct elements which never become united, and in higher vertebrates having a short more or less cylindrical body whose ends articulate by pads of elastic or cartilaginous tissue with those of adjacent vertebrae and a bony arch that encloses the spinal cord

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Recent Examples of vertebra from the Web

The crash left Thompson with compressed vertebrae in his lower back, which had to be fused.

— bill glauber, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Trevor Thompson survived Erin Hills air blimp crash. This is the rest of the story," 13 June 2018
Striker Neymar was sidelined with a vertebra injury for the match which took place in front of a devastated home crowd in Belo Horizonte.

— motez bishara, CNN, "World Cup: Data says Brazil and Germany in the cards for Russia 2018," 7 June 2018
The dinosaur sample captures eight vertebrae from the middle or end of a long, thin tail.

— laura yan, Popular Mechanics, "Scientists Discover a Dinosaur Tail Preserved in Amber," 27 May 2018
Maestas received a medical marijuana card to manage back pain related to a misaligned vertebra.

— rachel leingang, azcentral, "Medical marijuana OK on college campuses, Arizona Supreme Court rules," 23 May 2018
In 1998, of course, Smith suffered two devastating falls, one that broke his shoulder in March and another that crushed two vertebrae in his back that August.

— jake lourim, The Courier-Journal, "Mike Smith's career keeps rolling with contenders in Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks," 2 May 2018
Three separate, single vertebrae were all that existed for examples of the ancient marine reptile in North Dakota, until a find in the 1990s during road construction on federal land in Bowman County.

— jack dura, The Seattle Times, "80 million-year-old remains prepped for North Dakota display," 15 Jan. 2018
An ambulance took him to Lakeview Regional Medical Center near Mandeville that night, where a doctor performed emergency surgery deep into the next morning trying to repair the broken C5 vertebrae in his neck.

— bob warren, NOLA.com, "Will to Walk: LSU is 'Mighty Michael' Doherty's next stop," 30 May 2018
During his junior year, Williams broke five bones and vertebrae in his neck while attempting to tackle a receiver in a September 2015 game, according to The Hoya.

— jenna west, SI.com, "Watch: Georgetown LB Ty Williams Walks For First Time at Graduation After 2015 Neck Injury," 19 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vertebra.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of vertebra

Latin, joint, vertebra, from vertere to turn

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First Known Use: 1578

in the meaning defined above

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VERTEBRA Defined for English Language Learners

vertebra

noun

Definition of vertebra for English Language Learners

: one of the small bones that are linked together to form the backbone

VERTEBRA Defined for Kids

vertebra

noun ver·te·bra \ ˈvər-tə-brə \

Definition of vertebra for Students

plural vertebrae \-ˌbrā, -brē\

: one of the bony sections making up the backbone

Word Root of vertebra

The Latin word vertere, meaning “to turn” or “to change,” and its form versus give us the roots vert and vers. Words from the Latin vertere have something to do with turning or changing. Anything versatile, or able to do or be used for many different things, can change its task easily. A vertebra is a bone in the spine that allows an animal to turn its head or body. To avert is to turn away. To divert is to turn aside onto a new path. To revert is to turn back to a former way of being.

Medical Dictionary

vertebra

noun ver·te·bra \ ˈvərt-ə-brə \

medical Definition of vertebra

plural vertebrae play \-ˌbrā, -(ˌ)brē\ or vertebras

: any of the bony or cartilaginous segments that make up the spinal column and that have a short more or less cylindrical body whose ends articulate by pads of elastic or cartilaginous tissue with those of adjacent vertebrae and a bony arch that encloses the spinal cord