/ ˈvɜːtɪbrət; NAmE ˈvɜːrt-/ noun
( technical ) any animal with a backbone , including all mammals , birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians
—compare invertebrate
► ver·te·brate adjective
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WORD ORIGIN
early 19th cent.: from Latin vertebratus jointed, from vertebra , from vertere to turn.