1
: of, relating to, or situated near the spinal column
2
a
: of, relating to, or affecting the spinal cord
spinal reflexes
b
: having the spinal cord functionally isolated (as by surgical section) from the brain
experiments on spinal animals
3
: of, relating to, or resembling a spine
: a spinal anesthetic
Examples of spinal in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Robin Fields, CNN, 17 Feb. 2025
Blackburn’s season ended with a spinal fluid leak in his mid-back.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2025
Christian Martinez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Jan. 2025
Mayfield played because Matthew Stafford had been shut down after a midseason spinal injury.
—Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for spinal 
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Adjective
Novartis is working to expand use of the drug in older children, in part by seeking approval for a second version of the drug, administered by spinal injection, for children with less severe SMA.
—Robin Fields, CNN, 17 Feb. 2025
Blackburn’s season ended with a spinal fluid leak in his mid-back.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2025
Noun
Listen to this article A San Diego County sheriff’s deputy was charged with using excessive force on a restrained inmate, causing a serious spinal injury that required surgery, and later attempting to cover up the incident, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Friday.
—Christian Martinez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Jan. 2025
Mayfield played because Matthew Stafford had been shut down after a midseason spinal injury.
—Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for spinal
Dictionary Entries Near spinal
Cite this Entry
“Spinal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spinal. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
spinal
1 of 2 adjective
spi·nal
ˈspīn-ᵊl 
1
: of, relating to, or situated near the spinal column
2
a
: of, relating to, or affecting the spinal cord
spinal reflexes
b
: having the spinal cord functionally isolated (as by surgical section) from the brain
experiments on spinal animals
c
: used for spinal anesthesia
a spinal anesthetic
3
: made for or fitted to the spinal column
a spinal brace
spinal
2 of 2 noun
: a spinal anesthetic
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