spinal
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.relating to the spine or the bones in your back.
adj.pertaining to the vertebral column or the spinal cord.
Simple“The doctor looked at the X-ray to check for any spinal injuries after the accident.”
In context“The surgeon explained that the patient's chronic pain was caused by a spinal disc pressing against a nerve root in the lower back.”
UsageUsually placed before the noun it modifies.
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
n.an injection in the back that numbs the lower half of the body for surgery.
n.an anesthetic drug injected into the subarachnoid space to produce loss of sensation in the lower body.
Simple“She was awake during the operation because she had a spinal instead of being put to sleep.”
In context“The anesthesiologist recommended a spinal for the procedure to minimize the systemic risks associated with general anesthesia.”
Teacher's tipThis noun usage is common among medical professionals but may be confusing to general learners who only know the adjective form.
Synonymsspinal blockepidural
Usage spinal cord
“An Irishman who was given a 5 per cent chance of walking again after a serious spinal injury has set out on a 4,500km charity trek across the United States .”
Borrowed from Late Latin spīnālis (“of or belonging to the spine”), from spīna (“a prickle, spine”) + -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix). By surface analysis, spine + -al.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.