invertebrate

adjective

in·​ver·​te·​brate (ˌ)in-ˈvər-tə-brət How to pronounce invertebrate (audio) -ˌbrāt How to pronounce invertebrate (audio)
1
: lacking a spinal column
also : of, relating to, or concerned with invertebrate animals
2
: lacking in strength or vitality : weak
invertebrate noun

Examples of invertebrate in a Sentence

an invertebrate Congress that blithely went along with the President's ill-conceived plan
Recent Examples on the Web Jessica Ware is associate curator of invertebrate zoology at the American Museum of Natural History. Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 3 Feb. 2023 A year later, the state budgeted $10 million to pull DNA out of historic insect collections, as well as to launch ambitious new field studies to better understand the extent of California’s invertebrate biodiversity. Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2022 Siddall, a curator of invertebrate zoology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, is one of the world’s foremost leech experts. Mark Siddall, Discover Magazine, 5 Sep. 2012 Initial invertebrate samples conducted by Long indicate that diversity has not been negatively affected, but appears to be stronger than pre-fire reports. Jake Frederico, The Arizona Republic, 13 Dec. 2022 In Jordan, most of the fossils found so far are marine invertebrate fossils, such as bivalves, ammonites and foraminifers. Marta Vidal, Discover Magazine, 2 Nov. 2022 Fire effects are expected to be long-term, lasting anywhere from five to 20 years, and the service says aquatic invertebrate monitoring will continue. Jake Frederico, The Arizona Republic, 13 Dec. 2022 There's no doubt that Blean Woods is already humming with invertebrate life. Victoria Turk, Wired, 19 July 2022 Surveying invertebrate life is freelance ecologist and entomologist Graeme Lyons. Victoria Turk, Wired, 19 July 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'invertebrate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin invertebratus, from Latin in- + New Latin vertebratus vertebrate

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of invertebrate was in 1819

Dictionary Entries Near invertebrate

Cite this Entry

“Invertebrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/invertebrate. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

invertebrate

1 of 2 adjective
in·​ver·​te·​brate
(ˈ)in-ˈvərt-ə-brət,
-ˌbrāt
: lacking a backbone
an invertebrate animal
also : of or relating to invertebrate animals
invertebrate fossils

invertebrate

2 of 2 noun
: an animal (as a worm, clam, spider, or butterfly) that lacks a backbone

Medical Definition

invertebrate

1 of 2 noun
in·​ver·​te·​brate (ˈ)in-ˈvərt-ə-brət How to pronounce invertebrate (audio) -ˌbrāt How to pronounce invertebrate (audio)
: an animal having no backbone or internal skeleton

invertebrate

2 of 2 adjective
: lacking a spinal column
also : of or relating to invertebrate animals

More from Merriam-Webster on invertebrate

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