ˈspänd ə l noun
or spon·dyle -nˌdīl
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English spondyle, from Middle French, from Latin spondylus, from Greek sphondylos, spondylos vertebra, whorl of a spindle, muscle of a bivalve, a kind of mussel; akin to Greek sphendonē sling, sphadazein to jerk, be restless, Sanskrit spandate he quivers, Middle High German spat spavin
1. obsolete : vertebra
2. : spiny oyster