vertebral column
noun
Origin of vertebral column
First recorded in 1815–25
Words nearby vertebral column
vertebra plana,
vertebral,
vertebral arch,
vertebral artery,
vertebral canal,
vertebral column,
vertebral foramen,
vertebral formula,
vertebral nerve,
vertebral rib,
vertebral vein
British Dictionary definitions for vertebral column
Medical definitions for vertebral column
vertebral column
n.
spinal column
Scientific definitions for vertebral column
vertebral column
[ vûr′tə-brəl ]
The series of vertebrae extending from the base of the skull to the tip of the tail that forms the supporting axis of the body in vertebrate animals. In humans and tailless apes, the vertebral column ends with the coccyx (tailbone). It encloses and protects the spinal cord and provides a stable attachment for the muscles of the trunk. Also called backbone spinal column, spine