Adjacent Words

Spine definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SPINE, n. [L.]
1. The back bone of an animal.
2. The shin of the leg.
3. A thorn; a sharp process from the woody part of a plant. It differs from a prickle, which proceeds form the bark. A spine which proceeds from the bark. A spine sometimes terminates a branch or a leaf, and sometimes is axillary, growing at the angle formed by the branch or leaf with the stem. The wild apple and pear are armed with thorns; the rose, bramble, gooseberry. etc. are armed with prickles.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord; "the fall broke his back" [syn: spinal column, vertebral column, spine, backbone, back, rachis]
2: any sharply pointed projection [syn: spur, spine, acantha]
3: a small sharp-pointed tip resembling a spike on a stem or leaf [syn: spine, thorn, prickle, pricker, sticker, spikelet]
4: the part of a book's cover that encloses the inner side of the book's pages and that faces outward when the book is shelved; "the title and author were printed on the spine of the book" [syn: spine, backbone]
5: a sharp rigid animal process or appendage; as a porcupine quill or a ridge on a bone or a ray of a fish fin

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English, thorn, spinal column, from Latin spina; perhaps akin to Latin spica ear of grain Date: 15th century 1. a. spinal column b. something resembling a spinal column or constituting a central axis or chief support c. the part of a book to which the pages are attached and on the cover of which usually appear the title and author's and publisher's names 2. a stiff pointed plant process; especially one that is a modified leaf or leaf part 3. a sharp rigid process on an animal: as a. spicule b. a stiff unsegmented fin ray of a fish c. a pointed prominence on a bone • spined adjective • spinelike adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 a series of vertebrae extending from the skull to the small of the back, enclosing the spinal cord and providing support for the thorax and abdomen; the backbone. 2 Zool. & Bot. any hard pointed process or structure. 3 a sharp ridge or projection, esp. of a mountain range or slope. 4 a central feature, main support, or source of strength. 5 the part of a book's jacket or cover that encloses the page-fastening part and usu. faces outwards on a shelf. Phrases and idioms: spine-chiller a frightening story, film, etc. spine-chilling (esp. of a story etc.) frightening. Derivatives: spined adj. Etymology: ME f. OF espine or L spina thorn, backbone

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Spine Spine, n. [L. spina thorn, the spine; akin to spica a point: cf. OF. espine, F. ['e]pine. Cf. Spike, Spinet a musical instrument, Spinny.] 1. (Bot.) A sharp appendage to any of a plant; a thorn. 2. (Zo["o]l.) (a) A rigid and sharp projection upon any part of an animal. (b) One of the rigid and undivided fin rays of a fish. 3. (Anat.) The backbone, or spinal column, of an animal; -- so called from the projecting processes upon the vertebr[ae]. 4. Anything resembling the spine or backbone; a ridge.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(spines) 1. Your spine is the row of bones down your back. N-COUNT 2. The spine of a book is the narrow stiff part which the pages and covers are attached to. N-COUNT 3. Spines are also long, sharp points on an animal's body or on a plant. N-COUNT

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Thorn. 2. Backbone, spinal column, vertebral column. 3. Ridge.

Moby Thesaurus

advocate, alpenstock, arm, athletic supporter, back, backbone, backing, bandeau, barb, barbel, barbule, bearer, bilge, blain, bleb, blister, blob, boss, bow, bra, brace, bracer, bracket, bramble, brassiere, brier, bristle, bubble, bulb, bulge, bulla, bump, bunch, burl, burr, button, buttress, cactus, cahot, cane, carrier, catchweed, cervix, chine, cleavers, clump, col, comb, condyle, convex, corset, crook, crutch, dowel, ear, esker, flange, flap, foundation garment, fulcrum, gall, girdle, gnarl, goose grass, guy, guywire, handle, hill, hogback, horseback, hump, hunch, jock, jockstrap, jog, joggle, kame, knob, knot, knur, knurl, lip, loop, lump, mainstay, maintainer, mast, mole, mountain, neck, needle, nettle, nevus, nub, nubbin, nubble, papilloma, peg, pine needle, prickle, prong, prop, quill, rachis, ray, reinforce, reinforcement, reinforcer, rest, resting place, rib, ridge, rigging, ring, saddle, saddleback, shoulder, shroud, spicula, spicule, spiculum, spike, spikelet, spinal column, spinal cord, sprit, spur, staff, standing rigging, stave, stay, stick, sticker, stiffener, strengthener, stud, style, support, supporter, sustainer, tab, thistle, thorn, tubercle, tubercule, upholder, verruca, vertebrae, vertebral column, vesicle, wale, walking stick, wart, welt, yucca