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Glite Dictionary
dorsal vertebra

dorsal vertebra

6.3
A bone in the middle of the spine between the chest and lower back
  • noun
  • /ˈdɔrsəl ˈvɜrtɪbrə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : vértebra dorsal
  • Pain between the shoulders can sometimes indicate issues with a dorsal vertebra.

Examples

  • The dorsal vertebra plays a crucial role in the structure of the spine.

  • X-rays revealed a fracture in the fifth dorsal vertebra.

  • The surgeon carefully examined the dorsal vertebra for signs of injury.

  • There are twelve dorsal vertebrae in the human body.

  • The doctor explained that the dorsal vertebra are crucial for supporting the rib cage.

  • In a recent study, researchers examined how injuries to the dorsal vertebra can affect posture.

  • During the surgery, the surgeon focused on the alignment of the dorsal vertebra to ensure the patient's recovery.

Synonyms

thoracic vertebra
vsdorsal vertebra
  • Specialized
2 6.1

One of the bones in the middle of the spine that ribs attach to

is the same set of middle back spine bones without stressing rib attachment

Surface Forms

dorsal vertebra singular
dorsal vertebrae plural

Morphology

dorsal + vertebra

The meaning 'a vertebra on the back/thoracic region' is directly and compositionally derived from 'dorsal' (on or relating to the back) + 'vertebra' (spinal bone). This simple adjective+noun pattern is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will understand it denotes a back vertebra even if they lack specialist knowledge of the exact thoracic count.

Etymology

Dorsal vertebra comes from two old words: dorsal meaning 'back' and vertebra meaning 'small bone in the spine'. So it paints the image of a small bone in the middle part of the back, which is why the term names the spine bones in that area.