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vertebra

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ver⋅te⋅bra

[vur-tuh-bruh]
–noun, plural -brae [-bree, -brey] , -bras. Anatomy, Zoology.
any of the bones or segments composing the spinal column, consisting typically of a cylindrical body and an arch with various processes, and forming a foramen, or opening, through which the spinal cord passes.

Origin:
1570–80; < L: (spinal) joint, equiv. to verte(re) to turn (see verse ) + -bra n. suffix
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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ver·te·bra   (vûr'tə-brə)   
n.   pl. ver·te·brae (-brā', -brē') or ver·te·bras
Any of the bones or cartilaginous segments forming the spinal column.

[Middle English, from Latin, from vertere, to turn; see wer-2 in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

vertebra 
1615, from L. vertebra "joint or articulation of the body, joint of the spine" (pl. vertebræ), perhaps from vertere "to turn" (see versus) + instrum. suffix -bra. The notion is of the spine as the "hinge" of the body. Vertebrate (n.) is from 1826, from L. vertebratus (Pliny).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: ver·te·bra
Pronunciation: 'v&rt-&-br&
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural ver·te·brae /-"brA, -(")brE/ or -bras
: any of the bony or cartilaginous segments that make up the spinal column and that have a short more or less cylindrical body whoseends articulate by pads of elastic or cartilaginous tissue with those of adjacent vertebrae and a bony arch that encloses the spinal cord
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

vertebra ver·te·bra (vûr'tə-brə)
n. pl. ver·te·bras or ver·te·brae (-brā', -brē')
Any of the bones or cartilaginous segments of the spinal column, usually 33 in number.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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