spine
Plural: spines
Noun
- The vertebral column; a sharp, pointed projection.
- the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord
- any sharply pointed projection
- a small sharp-pointed tip resembling a spike on a stem or leaf
- the part of a book's cover that encloses the inner side of the book's pages and that faces outward when the book is shelved
- "the title and author were printed on the spine of the book"
- a sharp rigid animal process or appendage; as a porcupine quill or a ridge on a bone or a ray of a fish fin
- 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.
- 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.
- Courage or assertiveness.
- Something resembling a backbone, such as a ridge, or a long, central structure from which other structures radiate.
- The narrow, bound edge of a book that encloses the inner edges of the pages, facing outwards when the book is on a shelf and typically bearing the title and the author's and publisher's name.
- A pointed, fairly rigid protuberance or needlelike structure on an animal, shell, mushroom or plant. The botanical term technically refers to such a structure derived from a leaf or part of a leaf.
- The heartwood of trees.
- Ellipsis of dendritic spine.
- A linear payscale operated by some large organizations that allows flexibility for local and specific conditions.
- A tall mass of viscous lava extruded from a volcano.
- The stiffness of an arrow.
- A central part which supports a whole; core.
Examples
- She felt a chill down her SPINE when her opponent found a bingo word.
Origin / Etymology
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.
Synonyms
acantha, back, backbone, pricker, prickle, rachis, spikelet, spinal column, spur, sticker, thorn, vertebral column, needle, pay spine, quill, spicule, spike, virgula
Scrabble Score: 7
spine: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Wordspine: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
spine: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary