1
: of, relating to, or situated near the spinal column
2
a
: of, relating to, or affecting the spinal cord
spinal reflexes
b
: having the spinal cord functionally isolated (as by surgical section) from the brain
experiments on spinal animals
3
: of, relating to, or resembling a spine
: a spinal anesthetic
Examples of spinal in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
After a grisly altercation with his old man, Doug eventually breaks free — but not before his dad leaves him short a finger and with a crippling spinal injury.
—Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Many of us have extra pillows in the house so using one between your your knees to support that neutral spinal alignment is perfectly satisfactory.
—Casey Delbasso, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2024
Sorel Liqueur Jackie Summers left his career in corporate America after being diagnosed with a spinal tumor.
—Claudia Alarcón, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024
That crash left three people injured, including one woman who suffered spinal injuries.
—Chris Ramirez, Journal Sentinel, 20 Mar. 2024
Late in the 2022 season, after Stafford suffered a spinal injury, the Rams signed Baker Mayfield.
—Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024
Specifically, what motivates your decision to work in the spinal surgery industry?
—Deeptee Jain, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024
Reed, who was ejected, suffered extensive head injuries, a spinal injury and a broken clavicle.
—Katie Moore, Kansas City Star, 15 Feb. 2024
Jacqueline Laurean Yates, ABC News, 1 Apr. 2024
My spinal injury taught me that life is fragile, but also that trauma grounds you and puts everything into perspective.
—Sophie Morgan, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Feb. 2024
Prions that live in brain and spinal matter, which are often parts of discard piles like the ones the wardens found, can survive in the environment for years.
—Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 21 Dec. 2023
For example, one CNS defect is spina bifida—a condition where a baby's backbone doesn't form and close to protect the spinal cord.110
However, ongoing research has found that pregnant individuals may not need to avoid saunas altogether.
—Jessica Migala, Health, 20 Nov. 2023
The discs between their spinal vertebrae spread farther apart — astronauts grow taller, but their lower backs hurt.
—Kim Tingley, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2023
Nilan had his blood and spinal fluids drawn and was scheduled for magnetic resonance imaging of his brain.
—David Waldstein, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2023
Brain and spinal surgeries didn’t ease her symptoms.
—Lauren Sausser | Kff Health News, NBC News, 22 Aug. 2023
Lemos once worked as a motorcycle taxi driver in her native Brazil and suffered a spinal fracture from an accident while on the job, yet has returned better than ever.
—Cam Kerry, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Aug. 2023
Adjective
Gretchen Dieck, then a doctoral student at Yale, set out to use postural images taken at Smith College, cross-referenced with present-day self-reports by alumnae, to see whether the presence of spinal curvature in a teen-age girl predicted back pain in later life.
—Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
After a grisly altercation with his old man, Doug eventually breaks free — but not before his dad leaves him short a finger and with a crippling spinal injury.
—Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Many of us have extra pillows in the house so using one between your your knees to support that neutral spinal alignment is perfectly satisfactory.
—Casey Delbasso, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2024
Sorel Liqueur Jackie Summers left his career in corporate America after being diagnosed with a spinal tumor.
—Claudia Alarcón, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024
That crash left three people injured, including one woman who suffered spinal injuries.
—Chris Ramirez, Journal Sentinel, 20 Mar. 2024
Late in the 2022 season, after Stafford suffered a spinal injury, the Rams signed Baker Mayfield.
—Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024
Specifically, what motivates your decision to work in the spinal surgery industry?
—Deeptee Jain, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024
Reed, who was ejected, suffered extensive head injuries, a spinal injury and a broken clavicle.
—Katie Moore, Kansas City Star, 15 Feb. 2024
Noun
This comforting memory foam travel pillow has a 360-degree ergonomic design to help maintain all-around neck and spinal support.
—Jacqueline Laurean Yates, ABC News, 1 Apr. 2024
My spinal injury taught me that life is fragile, but also that trauma grounds you and puts everything into perspective.
—Sophie Morgan, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Feb. 2024
Prions that live in brain and spinal matter, which are often parts of discard piles like the ones the wardens found, can survive in the environment for years.
—Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 21 Dec. 2023
For example, one CNS defect is spina bifida—a condition where a baby's backbone doesn't form and close to protect the spinal cord.110
However, ongoing research has found that pregnant individuals may not need to avoid saunas altogether.
—Jessica Migala, Health, 20 Nov. 2023
The discs between their spinal vertebrae spread farther apart — astronauts grow taller, but their lower backs hurt.
—Kim Tingley, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2023
Nilan had his blood and spinal fluids drawn and was scheduled for magnetic resonance imaging of his brain.
—David Waldstein, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2023
Brain and spinal surgeries didn’t ease her symptoms.
—Lauren Sausser | Kff Health News, NBC News, 22 Aug. 2023
Lemos once worked as a motorcycle taxi driver in her native Brazil and suffered a spinal fracture from an accident while on the job, yet has returned better than ever.
—Cam Kerry, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spinal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near spinal
Cite this Entry
“Spinal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spinal. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
spinal
1 of 2 adjective
spi·nal
ˈspīn-ᵊl 
1
: of, relating to, or situated near the spinal column
2
a
: of, relating to, or affecting the spinal cord
spinal reflexes
b
: having the spinal cord functionally isolated (as by surgical section) from the brain
experiments on spinal animals
c
: used for spinal anesthesia
a spinal anesthetic
3
: made for or fitted to the spinal column
a spinal brace
spinal
2 of 2 noun
: a spinal anesthetic
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