VERTEBRA (vertebrae)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected form: vertebrae   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does vertebra mean? 

• VERTEBRA (noun)
  The noun VERTEBRA has 1 sense:

1. one of the bony segments of the spinal column

  Familiarity information: VERTEBRA used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• VERTEBRA (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

One of the bony segments of the spinal column

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Hypernyms ("vertebra" is a kind of...):

bone; os (rigid connective tissue that makes up the skeleton of vertebrates)

Meronyms (parts of "vertebra"):

centrum (the main body of a vertebra)

apophysis ((anatomy) a natural outgrowth or projection on an organ or body part such as the process of a vertebra)

transverse process (one of two processes that extend from each vertebra and provide the point of articulation for the ribs)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "vertebra"):

cervical vertebra; neck bone (one of 7 vertebrae in the human spine located in the neck region)

dorsal vertebra; thoracic vertebra (one of 12 vertebrae in the human vertebral column; thoracic vertebrae extend from the seventh cervical vertebra down to the first lumbar vertebra)

lumbar vertebra (one of 5 vertebrae in the human vertebral column; lumbar vertebrae extend from the twelfth thoracic vertebra down to the sacral vertebrae)

sacral vertebra (one of 5 vertebrae in the human spine that fuse in the adult to form the sacrum)

caudal vertebra; coccygeal vertebra (one of 4 vertebrae in the human coccyx)

Holonyms ("vertebra" is a part of...):

back; backbone; rachis; spinal column; spine; vertebral column (the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord)

Derivation:

vertebral (of or relating to or constituting vertebrae)

 Context examples 

The injury usually results from arthritis or pinching by the adjacent vertebrae.

(Cervicocranial Syndrome, NCI Thesaurus)

A benign, locally aggressive bone tumor, usually arising in the end of long bones or the vertebrae.

(Benign Giant Cell Tumor of Bone, NCI Thesaurus)

Your backbone, or spine, is made up of 26 bones called vertebrae.

(Herniated Disk, NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

Common back injuries include: • Sprains and strains • Herniated disks • Fractured vertebrae

(Back Injuries, NIH)

The second of the seven cervical vertebrae.

(C2 Vertebra, NCI Thesaurus)

The third of the seven cervical vertebrae.

(C3 Vertebra, NCI Thesaurus)

The first of the seven cervical vertebrae.

(C1 Vertebra, NCI Thesaurus)

It is characterized by an increased sclerosis in the superior and inferior aspects of the midbody of the vertebra, resulting in the image of a duplicate vertebral body inside the normal one.

(Bone-in-Bone Sign, NCI Thesaurus)

The sixth of the seven cervical vertebrae.

(C6 Vertebra, NCI Thesaurus)

Any of the eight nerves arising from one of the seven cervical vertebrae.

(Cervical Nerve, NCI Thesaurus)