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vertebrae

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Vertabra
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ver⋅te⋅bra

  [vur-tuh-bruh]
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–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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Vertabra
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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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Science Dictionary
vertebra   (vûr'tə-brə)  Pronunciation Key 
Plural vertebrae (vûr'tə-brā', -brē') or vertebras
Any of the bones that make up the vertebral column. Each vertebra contains an arched, hollow section through which the spinal cord passes. In humans, the vertebrae are divided into cervical, thoracic, and lumbar sections, and the sacrum and coccyx are both made up of a series of fused vertebrae. The vertebrae are separated by cartilaginous intervertebral disks. See more at skeleton.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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