SPINE


Meaning of SPINE in English

transcription, транскрипция: [ ˈspīn ]

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 ˈspīnd adjective

• spine·like -ˌlīk adjective

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.