spinal column
10
3.2
- noun
- /ˈspaɪnəl ˈkɒləm/
- Specialized
:
columna vertebral
- Physical therapy helped improve the flexibility of her spinal column after the accident.
The entire spinal column is relaxed.
- The entire spinal column is relaxed.
- And we see this with in the Indian traditions of, you know, the symbols of the serpent going up the spinal column.
- And the person they had rescued took a bit of frag through a partially severed their spinal column.
- She was diagnosed with an area of the skull contorts and puts pressure on the spinal column.
Examples
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The spinal column protects the delicate spinal cord that runs through it.
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Whatever is wrong is in his spinal column, not his brain.
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The entire spinal column is relaxed.
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The spinal column must be accessed from the front.
Fiction book (2000) -
The autopsy revealed bleeding around the brain, in the eyes, and in the spinal column.
Blog text (19) -
Nerve cells can be incredibly long, with some stretching from the spinal column to the tips of the fingers or toes.
Blog text (7) -
The x-ray shows you still have steel splinters in your spinal column.
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John Mellencamp has spina bifida, a disorder of the spinal column.
Blog text (26) -
A spinal tumor can occur anywhere along the spinal column and may be asymptomatic until a pathologic fracture occurs.
Academic text (2005) -
By eliminating the movement between the vertebrae and transforming them into a rigid structure, the spinal column lost some of its flexibility, but there was less danger of a rupture or tear.
Fiction book (2000)
Synonyms
218
1.1
The long set of bones down the middle of the back that protect the spinal cord
9
3.0
The row of bones that runs down the middle of the back and supports the body
1
4.3
A row of bones running down the middle of the back that protects the spinal cord
A series of bones that form the backbone and protect the spinal cord
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is directly compositional: 'spinal' specifies relation to the spine/vertebrae and 'column' denotes a vertical, support-like structure, so together they denote the backbone/vertebral column. This is a literal, cross-linguistically common naming pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Spinal column names the line of bones that runs down your back; spinal means about the spine and column is like a strong upright post. It is like a pillar that 'supports' the body and 'protects' the spinal cord, so the term means the backbone that holds you up and keeps your nerves safe.