spine

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   A series of bones situated at the back from the head to the pelvis of a human, or from…

   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.

   • If you attentively regard almost any quadruped's spine, you will be struck with the resemblance of its vertebrae to a strung necklace of dwarfed skulls.
   • The preposterous altruism too! […] Resist not evil. It is an insane immolation of self—as bad intrinsically as fakirs stabbing themselves or anchorites warping their spines in caves scarcely large enough for a fair-sized dog.
2. 2

   Something resembling a backbone, such as a ridge, or a long, central structure from which…

   Something resembling a backbone, such as a ridge, or a long, central structure from which other structures radiate.

3. 3

   The narrow, bound edge of a book that encloses the inner edges of the pages, facing…

   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.

   • The spine is the book's backbone. Because the spine is generally all you can see when a book is on the shelf, the spine displays the title and author of the book and is often ornately decorated.
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   1. 4

      A pointed, fairly rigid protuberance or needlelike structure on an animal, shell,…

      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 male, as Dr. Gunther informs me, has a cluster of stiff, straight spines, like those of a comb, on the sides of the tail.
   2. 5

      The heartwood of trees.

   3. 6

      Ellipsis of dendritic spine.

      • Spines are distinguished by the presence of globular tips called spine heads; when spines are present, the synapses innervating dendrites are made from these heads.
   4. 7

      A linear payscale operated by some large organizations that allows flexibility for local…

      A linear payscale operated by some large organizations that allows flexibility for local and specific conditions.

   5. 8

      A tall mass of viscous lava extruded from a volcano.

   6. 9

      The stiffness of an arrow.

   7. 10

      A central part which supports a whole

      A central part which supports a whole; core.

      • The false securities of upward mobility have been lampooned by Philip Roth, those of family feality ^([sic]) by many gay novelists. The two meet in Uncle and form the spine of a sly, knowing, and ultimately uncompassionate novel.

The neighborhood

• neighborerector spinae
• neighborspina bifida
• neighborspinal canal
• neighborspinal column
• neighborspinal cord
• neighborspiniferous
• neighborspinigerous
• neighborspinigrade
• neighborspinoidal
• neighborspinule