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invertebrate
adjective
in·ver·te·brate
(ˌ)in-ˈvər-tə-brət
-ˌbrāt
1
: lacking a spinal column
also
: of, relating to, or concerned with invertebrate animals
2
: lacking in strength or vitality : weak
invertebrate
noun
Synonyms
Examples of invertebrate in a Sentence
an invertebrate Congress that blithely went along with the President's ill-conceived plan
Recent Examples on the Web
Jessica Ware is associate curator of invertebrate zoology at the American Museum of Natural History.
—Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 3 Feb. 2023
A year later, the state budgeted $10 million to pull DNA out of historic insect collections, as well as to launch ambitious new field studies to better understand the extent of California’s invertebrate biodiversity.
—Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2022
Siddall, a curator of invertebrate zoology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, is one of the world’s foremost leech experts.
—Mark Siddall, Discover Magazine, 5 Sep. 2012
Initial invertebrate samples conducted by Long indicate that diversity has not been negatively affected, but appears to be stronger than pre-fire reports.
—Jake Frederico, The Arizona Republic, 13 Dec. 2022
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Word History
Etymology
New Latin invertebratus, from Latin in- + New Latin vertebratus vertebrate
First Known Use
1819, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near invertebrate
Cite this Entry
“Invertebrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/invertebrate. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
invertebrate
1 of 2 adjective
in·ver·te·brate
(ˈ)in-ˈvərt-ə-brət,
-ˌbrāt
: lacking a backbone
an invertebrate animal
also
: of or relating to invertebrate animals
invertebrate fossils
invertebrate
2 of 2 noun
: an animal (as a worm, clam, spider, or butterfly) that lacks a backbone
Medical Definition
invertebrate
1 of 2 noun
in·ver·te·brate
(ˈ)in-ˈvərt-ə-brət
-ˌbrāt
: an animal having no backbone or internal skeleton
invertebrate
2 of 2 adjective
: lacking a spinal column
also
: of or relating to invertebrate animals
More from Merriam-Webster on invertebrate
Nglish: Translation of invertebrate for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about invertebrate
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