spinal tap

noun

Examples of spinal tap in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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More sensitive ways to detect amyloid and tau, another protein related to the disease, are possible by analyzing spinal fluid, but that requires a painful and potentially dangerous spinal tap. Alice Park, Time, 31 Mar. 2025 But, the results of a spinal tap showed a clear problem: her cerebrospinal fluid showed a count of 694 white blood cells per microliter. Ars Technica, 13 Feb. 2025 This type of narcolepsy is often confirmed by a spinal tap showing a lack of the neurotransmitter orexin. Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 1 Nov. 2024 Patients were given in-office cognitive and memory tests, a blood test, and were sent for either a spinal tap or a brain imaging test called a PET scan. Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 15 Aug. 2024 See All Example Sentences for spinal tap

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of spinal tap was in 1947

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Cite this Entry

“Spinal tap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spinal%20tap. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

Medical Definition

spinal tap

noun

More from Merriam-Webster on spinal tap

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