spinenoun [ C ]
uk/spaɪn/us/spaɪn/spine noun [ C ] (BONE)
C1 the line of bones down the centre of the back that provides support for the body and protects the spinal cord:
She injured her spine in a riding accident.
figurative The Apennine mountains form the spine (= central row of mountains) of Italy.
More examples
- Age deforms the spine.
- Injuries to the spine are common amongst these workers.
- The doctor manipulated the base of my spine and the pain disappeared completely.
- The lower part of her spine was crushed in the accident.
- At its most terrifying, his writing sends shivers up and down my spine.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Bone structures
- acetabular
- acetabulum
- acromial
- acromioclavicular
- acromion
- breastbone
- coccyx
- endoskeleton
- iliac
- ilium
- intercarpal
- intercondylar
- interosseous
- kneecap
- sacroiliac
- sacrospinous
- sacrotuberous
- sacrum
- sagittal
- trapezium
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spine noun [ C ] (POINT)
a long, sharp point like a needle growing out of an animal such as a hedgehog or a plant such as a cactus
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
The skin, hair & bone of non-human animals
- -haired
- alpaca
- coat
- coated
- coney
- cony
- dander
- hairless
- hairy
- ivory
- mink
- plumage
- plumule
- prickle
- quill
- spinneret
- vellum
- whisker
- wire-haired
- wool
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Parts of plants
spine noun [ C ] (BOOK PART)
the narrow strip where the cover of a book is joined to the pages, usually with the title and writer's name printed on it
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Books & parts of books
- addendum
- artwork
- bibliography
- binder
- binding
- blurb
- chapter
- errata
- erratum
- extract
- flyleaf
- folio
- foreword
- jacket
- library
- margin
- monograph
- preface
- prologue
- table
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