Word
vertebra
Phoneticsver·te·bra
US/ˈvɝtəbɹə/
UK/vˈɜːtɪbɹɐ/
Definition
n. one of the small bones that make up your spine. These bones protect your spinal cord and help you stand upright.
n. one of the individual bones that constitute the spinal column. Each vertebra provides structural support and protects the spinal cord.
Examples
“The doctor checked if any of the vertebra in my neck were damaged.”
“A herniated disc occurs when the soft material inside a vertebra pushes out and presses against a nerve.”
“The fossil record shows that the number of vertebra in the neck of sauropod dinosaurs was remarkably consistent across different species, despite their enormous size variations.”
Examples
simple
“The doctor checked if any of the vertebra in my neck were damaged.”
contextual
“A herniated disc occurs when the soft material inside a vertebra pushes out and presses against a nerve.”
complex
“The fossil record shows that the number of vertebra in the neck of sauropod dinosaurs was remarkably consistent across different species, despite their enormous size variations.”
Real-World Examples
“Alongside a tiny, neat sketch of the fossil dated 9 December 1985 he has written "vertebra of large reptile", noting it was about 10cm wide.” “He described it from a single, incomplete, fragile, but giant, vertebra.” Etymology
Borrowing from Latin vertebra (“a joint”), from vertō (“to turn”) + -bra (instrumental nominal suffix). Having multiple vertebrae (plural of vertebra) in one's backbone instead of having a single bone or solid spine, allows for the movement of the body with bends and turns. Hence meaning 1.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.