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Glite Dictionary
lumbar vertebra

lumbar vertebra

1 6.1
One of the five bones in the lower back that form the spine
  • noun
  • /ˈlʌm.bər ˈvɜːr.tɪ.brə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : vértebra lumbar
  • He looks for the familiar articulation of bone, but sees such a slight change in each vertebra, the last thoracic is almost indistinguishable from the first lumbar vertebra.
  • image of lumbar vertebra

Examples

  • The spine and pelvis modification that has allowed us to walk upright puts excessive force on the lumbar vertebrae, causing back problems.

    Blog text (28)

  • The lumbar vertebra supports the lower back and helps in maintaining an upright posture.

  • First and second lumbar vertebrae are crushed.

    Re-Animator (1985)

  • I push two fingers lightly into the tendons around his fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • The center of the inflatable portion of the corset was located over the spinous process of the fifth lumbar vertebra.

    Academic text (2000)

  • He'll be the one with the "lean and hungry look" in the forthcoming press photos, standing behind House Majority Leader Cantor with his eyes fixed on the prize, somewhere between the fifth and sixth lumbar vertebra.

    Blog text (1)

  • We've got a coronal-facing here and another sagittal-facing here... two areas of instability... within the space of around two or three lumbar vertebrae.

    Hooper (1978)

  • PHOTO (BLACK & WHITE): FIGURE 9. Axial CT image of lumbar vertebra and spinal cord (arrows) during CT-augmented myelogram.

    Academic text (2006)

  • A grouping of these nerves below the second lumbar vertebrae is called the cauda equina (Smeltzer & Bare, 2004).

    Academic text (2005)

  • PHOTO (BLACK & WHITE): FIGURE 10. Sagittal CT reconstruction image of lumbar vertebra demonstrating a fracture of the vertebral body as indicated by the rectangle.

    Academic text (2006)

How Big

pelvis
  • Specialized
71 4.4
sacrum
  • Specialized
4 8.4
lumbar vertebra
  • Specialized
1 6.1
thoracic vertebra
  • Specialized
2 6.1
cervical vertebra
  • Specialized
5 6.5

Surface Forms

lumbar vertebra singular
lumbar vertebrae plural

Morphology

lumbar + vertebra

The compound is a straightforward adjective + noun where 'lumbar' specifies the lower-back region and 'vertebra' names a spinal bone, so the meaning 'a vertebra in the lower part of the spine' is directly derivable from the constituents. This anatomical ADJ+NOUN pattern is common across languages and follows regular compositional rules, making it readily understandable to a learner who knows both words.

Etymology

The noun lumbar vertebra comes from older words: lumbar meant 'loin' or 'lower back' and vertebra meant a small bone of the spine, so the phrase literally names the bones in the lower part of the spine.