spine

CEFRB2

/spaɪn/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    The row of bones running down the back.

  2. 02

    noun

    The sharp back edge of a book or animal.

Examples

  • The sight made a chill run down my spine.

  • The sight sent chills of delight up my spine.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. Something resembling a backbone, such as a ridge, or a long, central structure from which other structures radiate.

  2. A series of bones situated at the back from the head to the pelvis of a human, or from the head to the tail of an animal, enclosing the spinal cord and providing support for the thorax and abdomen.

  3. Courage or assertiveness.

More examples

In context

  • A shiver went down my spine.

  • If you attentively regard almost any quadruped's spine, you will be struck with the resemblance of its vertebrae to a strung necklace of dwarfed skulls.

  • The preposterous altruism too! […] Resist not evil. It is an insane immolation of self—as bad intrinsically as fakirs stabbing themselves or anchorites warping their spines in caves scarcely large enough for a fair-sized dog.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The doctor examined the patient's blank after the fall injured his back.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From late Middle English spyne, from Old French espine (French épine) or its source, Latin spīna (“a thorn; a prickle, spine; the backbone”). Doublet of spina.