spinal column

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

ˈspi•nal ˌcol•umn, n. [countable]

1. Anatomy the series of bones forming the central structure of the skeleton in animals that have a backbone;
   spine;
   backbone.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

spi′nal col′umn, 

1. Anatomy the series of vertebrae in a vertebrate animal forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord;
   spine;
   backbone. Also called vertebral column. 

• 1830–40

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

spinal column noun

1. a series of contiguous or interconnecting bony or cartilaginous segments that surround and protect the spinal cord