Meaning & use
spine
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Meanings
nouncountable
The row of bones down the middle of the back that supports the body and protects the spinal cord.
Grammar: Countable; plural is spines. Often used with 'the' when referring to a person's or animal's backbone.
Patterns
- the spine
- a spine injury
- the spine of something
She injured her spine in a fall and had to wear a brace.
The human spine is made up of small bones called vertebrae.
The doctor checked the alignment of his spine.
nouncountable
The narrow edge of a book where the pages are joined together and usually where the title is printed.
Grammar: Countable; often used with 'the' when referring to a specific book.
Patterns
- the spine of a book
- book spine
- crack the spine
The title was printed on the spine of the book.
She cracked the spine of the new novel as she opened it.
He arranged the books so their spines faced outward.
nouncountable
A sharp, pointed part on a plant or animal, such as a thorn or quill.
Grammar: Countable; plural is spines.
Patterns
- a spine of a plant
- sharp spines
- covered in spines
The cactus has sharp spines that can hurt if you touch them.
The hedgehog's spines are actually modified hairs.
She carefully removed a spine from her finger.
noununcountablefigurativeinformal
The quality of courage and determination to face difficulty or danger.
Grammar: Uncountable; often used in phrases like 'lack the spine' or 'have the spine'.
Patterns
- have the spine to do something
- lack the spine to do something
He didn't have the spine to tell her the truth.
She showed real spine by standing up to the bullies.
The manager lacked the spine to make tough decisions.
Word forms
| plural | spines |
|---|
Common combinations
- spine injury
- He suffered a spine injury in the accident.
- book spine
- The book spine was cracked from heavy use.
- spine of a book
- The spine of the book was decorated with gold letters.
- have the spine
- She has the spine to stand up for what is right.
- lack the spine
- They lack the spine to confront the problem.
- spine-tingling
- The horror movie was spine-tingling.
Synonyms and how they differ
- backbone
- The everyday word for the same body part; spine is more technical and also used for the book part and courage.
- vertebral column
- The medical term for the spine; more formal and used in scientific contexts.
- courage
- A general word for bravery; spine is informal and often suggests a willingness to do something difficult.
- thorn
- A sharp point on a plant; spine is similar but can also refer to animal quills.
Opposites
Word family
- spinal adjective
- Relating to the spine, as in spinal cord.
- spiny adjective
- Covered with sharp points, like a cactus.
- spineless adjective
- Lacking courage; disapproving.
- spine-tingling adjective
- Causing a thrilling or frightening feeling.
Commonly confused: spine or spin?
spine vs spin
A different word meaning to turn around quickly; spine has a long 'i' sound.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'spine' correctly?
Choose one answer.
In option 0, 'spine' correctly refers to the backbone. Option 1 is wrong because the spine is the bound edge, not the part with pages facing out. Option 2 uses 'spine' as a singular count noun without a plural, and 'soft' contradicts the meaning of sharp spines. Option 3 uses 'spine' in a figurative sense but the context (eating vegetables) does not fit courage.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “spine”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.