VERTEBRA (vertebrae)

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does vertebra mean? 

• VERTEBRA (noun)
  The noun VERTEBRA has 1 sense:

1. one of the bony segments of the spinal column

  Familiarity information: VERTEBRA used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• VERTEBRA (noun)

Meaning:

One of the bony segments of the spinal column

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Hypernyms ("vertebra" is a kind of...):

bone; os (rigid connective tissue that makes up the skeleton of vertebrates)

Meronyms (parts of "vertebra"):

centrum (the main body of a vertebra)

apophysis ((anatomy) a natural outgrowth or projection on an organ or body part such as the process of a vertebra)

transverse process (one of two processes that extend from each vertebra and provide the point of articulation for the ribs)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "vertebra"):

cervical vertebra; neck bone (one of 7 vertebrae in the human spine located in the neck region)

dorsal vertebra; thoracic vertebra (one of 12 vertebrae in the human vertebral column; thoracic vertebrae extend from the seventh cervical vertebra down to the first lumbar vertebra)

lumbar vertebra (one of 5 vertebrae in the human vertebral column; lumbar vertebrae extend from the twelfth thoracic vertebra down to the sacral vertebrae)

sacral vertebra (one of 5 vertebrae in the human spine that fuse in the adult to form the sacrum)

caudal vertebra; coccygeal vertebra (one of 4 vertebrae in the human coccyx)

Holonyms ("vertebra" is a part of...):

back; backbone; rachis; spinal column; spine; vertebral column (the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord)