vertebra

noun

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ver·te·bra | \ ˈvər-tə-brə

, -ˌbrā

plural vertebrae\ ˈvər-tə-ˌbrā

, -(ˌ)brē

, -brə

\ or vertebras

Definition of vertebra

: 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

Examples of vertebra in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Grahn injured his fifth vertebra in a swimming accident in 2005, resulting in quadriplegia. — Max G. Levy, Wired, "A New Way to Restore Hand Mobility—With an Electrified Patch," 29 Jan. 2021 For Pierre-Paul, those struggles have included back surgery, the loss of his right index finger in a fireworks accident in 2015, and a car accident in 2019 that left him with a fractured vertebra in his neck. — New York Times, "Tampa Bay’s Pass Rush Would Like Your Attention," 4 Feb. 2021 To come out of this pose, slowly roll up one vertebra at a time with your head being the last thing to come up. — Stephanie Mansour, CNN, "Whether you have just 5, 10 or 15 minutes, these stress relief workouts can help," 22 Dec. 2020 An eight-hour surgery to remove the tumor and replace the vertebra with a metal rod saved Olson from being paralyzed. — Sarah Elizabeth Richards, Wired, "One Man’s Search for the DNA Data That Could Save His Life," 19 Nov. 2020 The third-year corner fractured a vertebra in his neck at the end of the 2019 regular season. — Ben Goessling, Star Tribune, "Vikings' Gary Kubiak, Texans' J.J. Watt have an enduring friendship," 1 Oct. 2020 The culprit was the old lesion in his T5 vertebra that had been radiated three years earlier. — Sarah Elizabeth Richards, Wired, "One Man’s Search for the DNA Data That Could Save His Life," 19 Nov. 2020 Hughes was thought to be over the fractured vertebra in his neck that ended his 2019 season, but the issue resurfaced after the Week 2 loss in Indianapolis. — Andrew Krammer, Star Tribune, "Vikings midseason report: Defensive backs show a patchwork of progress," 10 Nov. 2020 The defense got good news as Hughes was able to handle a full practice after a two-game absence with a neck injury; his 2019 season ended due to a fractured vertebra. — Andrew Krammer, Star Tribune, "Mike Hughes returns to Vikings practice, but Eric Kendricks sits out," 7 Oct. 2020

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.

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Learn More about vertebra

Dictionary Entries near vertebra

vertebral aponeurosis

vertebral arch

Statistics for vertebra

Last Updated

2 Mar 2021

Cite this Entry

“Vertebra.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vertebra. Accessed 2 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for vertebra

vertebra

noun

English Language Learners Definition of vertebra

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

See the full definition for vertebra in the English Language Learners Dictionary

vertebra

noun

ver·te·bra | \ ˈvər-tə-brə

plural vertebrae\ -ˌbrā , -brē \

Kids Definition of vertebra

: one of the bony sections making up the backbone

vertebra

noun

ver·te·bra | \ ˈvərt-ə-brə

plural vertebrae\ -ˌbrā

, -(ˌ)brē

\ or vertebras

Medical Definition of vertebra

: 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

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