spinal cord

noun

: the cord of nervous tissue that extends from the brain lengthwise along the back in the spinal canal, gives off the pairs of spinal nerves, carries impulses to and from the brain, and serves as a center for initiating and coordinating many reflex acts see brain illustration

Examples of spinal cord in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And in 2022, Stafford suffered a spinal cord contusion that limited him to playing just nine games. —MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025

Their attention to detail and information can make the difference between a patient who can walk versus one who has a spinal cord injury. —Richard Menger Md Mpa, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025

Opioids, whether endogenous or those found in narcotics (called exogenous opioids), bind to opioid receptors located on the outer membrane of nerve cells in the brain, spinal cord, and other organs. —Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2025

At worst, those who do contract the virus can get encephalitis, brain swelling or spinal cord inflammation. —Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for spinal cord

• checkerboard
• clavichord
• fiberboard
• fibreboard
• fingerboard
• harpsichord
• motherboard
• notochord
• overboard
• overlord
• paperboard
• plasterboard

Kids Definition

spinal cord

noun

: the cord of nervous tissue that extends from the brain along the back in the cavity of the backbone, branches to form the spinal nerves, carries nerve impulses to and from the brain, and helps to control reflex actions

Medical Definition

spinal cord

noun

: the thick longitudinal cord of nervous tissue that in vertebrates extends along the back dorsal to the bodies of the vertebrae and is enclosed in the spinal canal formed by their neural arches, is continuous anteriorly with the medulla oblongata, gives off at intervals pairs of spinal nerves to the various parts of the trunk and limbs, serves not only as a pathway for nerve impulses to and from the brain but as a center for carrying out and coordinating many reflex actions independently of the brain, and is composed largely of white matter arranged in columns and tracts of longitudinal fibers about a large central core of gray matter somewhat H-shaped in cross section and pierced centrally by a small longitudinal canal continuous with the ventricles of the brain

called also medulla spinalis