spine

IPA: spˈaɪn

(anatomy, zootomy) 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.
(figurative) 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.
(zootomy, botany) A pointed, fairly rigid protuberance or needlelike structure on an animal, shell, or plant.
(botany) The heartwood of trees.
A linear payscale operated by some large organizations that allows flexibility for local and specific conditions.
(geology) A tall mass of viscous lava extruded from a volcano.
The stiffness of an arrow.
(neuroscience) Ellipsis of dendritic spine.. [A small membranous protrusion from the dendrite of a neuron that typically receives input from a single axon at the synapse.]

Examples of "spine" in Sentences

His spine is not the only part of this body stenosed.
Osteoporosis causes fractures in bone that project "inward from what we call our spine," she explains.
For Tanzanian guide George Mavroudis, the animal most likely to send shivers up his spine is the African lion.
Though he writes in stream of consciousness, it helps reveal to him what the piece is about, what he calls the spine of the work.
The bad news was that one of the discs in my lower back - which he described as the spine's shock absorbers - had swollen out of shape and prolapsed.
I thought about carrying this symbol out by having it done approximately in the area of my uterus, but then I figured the base of my spine is a more appropriate locale.
So, when Theodore introduced his wife to me, he said, "You see I have followed your advice; her spine is as straight as it should be, and every tooth in her head as sound as ivory."
The last figure may not be surprising as I suspect there may be roughly that number of Christians who hold the same view, but the figure which should send a chill down our spine is the first one.