SPONDYLITIS Meaning of SPONDYLITIS in English [ ˌspɒndɪ'lʌɪtɪs ]■ noun Medicine inflammation of the joints of the backbone. See also ankylosing ~ .OriginC19: from L. spondylus 'vertebra' + -itis . Concise Oxford English vocab. Сжатый оксфордский словарь английского языка. 2004