vertebrate
vertebrate Lexical Profile
vertebrate Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An animal of the large chordate subphylum Vertebrata, distinguished by having a segmented bony or cartilaginous spinal column and a cranium enclosing a brain, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes.
"In elementary biology, students learn to distinguish between a vertebrate, such as a frog or salmon, and an invertebrate, such as an earthworm."
• adjective
Possessing a backbone or spinal column; relating to or characteristic of the subphylum Vertebrata.
"Early vertebrate evolution transitioned from jawless marine organisms to diverse land-dwelling tetrapods."
• Rhymes for vertebrate
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the early 19th century from Latin vertebratus ('jointed' or 'having a spine'), from vertebra ('joint or bone of the spine'), which derives from the verb vertere ('to turn').