spinal nerve

noun Anatomy.

any of a series of paired nerves that originate in the nerve roots of the spinal cord and emerge from the vertebrae on both sides of the spinal column, each branching out to innervate a specific region of the neck, trunk, or limbs.

Origin of spinal nerve

First recorded in 1785–95

Words nearby spinal nerve

spinal marrow, spinal meningitis, spinal muscle of head, spinal muscle of neck, spinal muscle of thorax, spinal nerve, spinal paralysis, spinal puncture, spinal reflex, spinal root, spinal vein

Medical definitions for spinal nerve

spinal nerve

n.

Any of 31 pairs of nerves emerging from the spinal cord, each attached to the cord by two roots, anterior or ventral and posterior or dorsal, the latter provided with a spinal ganglion. The two roots unite in the intervertebral foramen but divide again into ventral and dorsal rami, or anterior and posterior primary divisions, the former supplying the foreparts of the body and limbs, the latter the muscles and skin of the back.

Scientific definitions for spinal nerve

spinal nerve

Any of the nerves that arise in pairs from the spinal cord and form an important part of the peripheral nervous system. The spinal nerves contain both sensory and motor nerve fibers. There are 31 pairs of spinal nerves in the human body.