spinal cord

noun

Definition of spinal cordnext
as in vertebra

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of spinal cord In contrast, very little is known about how the hindbrain and spinal cord adopt different fates; the new paper cites only one reference on the topic. — John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026 Instead, eligibility extends to adults with spinal cord injuries at any level who can safely operate the controller and have no contraindications listed in the User Manual. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026 After 16 months of radiation and chemotherapy, a September 2025 scan showed the cancer had spread to his spinal cord, a condition called leptomeningeal disease that usually proves fatal within a few months. — Arthur Allen, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026 Awartani was shot in the chest and the bullet ricocheted off his scapula, causing paraplegia in his spinal cord. — Michael R. Sisak, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for spinal cord
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spinal cord
  1. vertebra
  2. back
  3. spinal column
  4. vertebral column
Noun
  • Another piece sliced through his salivary gland before bouncing off his jaw and piercing the back of his neck, severing an artery and embedding in a vertebra.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Tuck your hips under, tilting your pelvis back, and slowly lift your hips toward the ceiling one vertebra at a time.
    — Jenessa Connor, HEALTH, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of vertebra
Noun
  • Foods checked in the back cooler are not at 41 degrees or below.
    — NWA Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Carl leans in, a triangle of packing peanuts on his shirt, one arm behind his back.
    — George Saunders, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of back
Noun
  • The three siblings share the same spina bifida diagnosis, but the condition — in which the spinal column does not properly fuse in the womb — affects each of them differently.
    — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026
  • In Hrubec’s lab, the malformations took a different form — neural tube defects similar to spina bifida in humans, in which parts of the spinal column fail to close, or anencephaly, where the skull and brain never fully develop.
    — Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of spinal column
Noun
  • The wall displayed a careful repetition and symmetry using pieces of the vertebral column.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 May 2026
  • The remains included parts of the lower jaw, vertebral column, and pelvic girdle.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 13 Nov. 2025
Definition of vertebral column

Browse Nearby Words

spinal columns
spinal cord
spinal cords
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Cite this Entry

“Spinal cord.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spinal%20cord. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on spinal cord

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about spinal cord

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