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Glite Dictionary
sacral vertebra

sacral vertebra

7.5
One of five lower back bones that join together in adults to make a strong base for the spine
  • noun
  • /ˈseɪkrəl ˈvɜːrtɪbrə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : vértebra sacral
  • During the anatomy class, we learned about the five sacral vertebra that fuse to form the sacrum.

Examples

  • The doctor explained that the sacral vertebra is crucial for supporting the lower back.

  • Feet are not known in Remingtonocetids, but the sacral vertebrae of Rodhocetus are less strongly fused, and the femurs are shorter than in Ambulocetus.

    Academic text (2001)

  • In humans, the sacral vertebra undergo fusion as they mature into adulthood.

Surface Forms

sacral vertebra singular
sacral vertebrae plural

Morphology

sacral + vertebra

The meaning is directly compositional: 'sacral' (=pertaining to the sacrum) qualifies 'vertebra' (a spinal bone), so the phrase refers to a vertebra in the sacral region. This adjective+noun pattern is a regular, cross-linguistic composition, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Sacral vertebra comes from an old idea: sacral comes from Latin for 'sacred' and vertebra means a bone of the spine. Long ago people called the bones at the base of the spine the 'sacred bone' or 'sacrum', so the name now refers to the lower vertebrae that fuse together to form that strong base.