noun The column of bones running down the back, from the head down to the tail or pelvis, that protects the spinal cord and holds up the chest and abdomen.
- The doctor checked my spine to see whether my back was straight.
- Swimming can strengthen the muscles that support your spine.
- A cat's flexible spine lets it twist in the air and land on its feet.
noun Bravery or a willingness to stand up for yourself.
- It took real spine to tell the manager he had made a mistake.
- I wish he had the spine to say no to his bossy friends.
- The young goalkeeper showed great spine by saving the final penalty.
noun A ridge or other long central structure that other parts branch out from, shaped a bit like a backbone.
- The mountain range has a long rocky spine with valleys branching off on either side.
- A stiff central spine runs along the leaf, and smaller veins spread out from it.
- Engineers built the network around a high-speed spine that connects every smaller branch.
noun The narrow edge of a book that holds the pages together and faces outward on a shelf, usually printed with the title and author's name.
- I found the book quickly because its bright red spine stood out on the shelf.
- The library sticks a small label on the spine of every book.
- Years of reading had cracked the spine of her favorite novel.
- The spine is the book's backbone. Because the spine is generally all you can see when a book is on the shelf, the spine displays the title and author of the book and is often ornately decorated.
— “Rare Book Basics: Book Terms Illustrated”, Rare Book Basics: Book Terms Illustrated (1994)
