<B>spinal, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>of or having to do with the spine or backbone. <BR> <I>Ex. a spinal nerve, a spinal anesthetic.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>in the region of the spine. <DD><B> 3. </B>resembling a spine in form or function. <BR> <I>Ex. a spinal ridge or hill.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>of or having to do with spines or sharp-pointed parts or bodies. <DD><I>noun </I> (Informal.) a spinal anesthetic. adv. <B>spinally.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="spinalanesthesia">
<B>spinal anesthesia,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> anesthesia by injection into the spinal canal, affecting the lower part of the body and the legs. </DL>
<A NAME="spinalblock">
<B>spinal block,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> an obstructing of the flow of cerebrospinal fluid by the injection of an anesthetic into the nerves of the spinal canal. </DL>
<A NAME="spinalcanal">
<B>spinal canal,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the duct formed by openings of the articulated vertebrae, containing the spinal cord. </DL>
<A NAME="spinalcolumn">
<B>spinal column,</B> <B>=backbone.</B></DL>
<A NAME="spinalcord">
<B>spinal cord,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the thick, whitish cord of nerve tissue which extends from the brain down through most of the backbone and from which nerves to various parts of the body branch off. The spinal cord begins at its upper end in the medulla oblongata. </DL>
<A NAME="spinalmarrow">
<B>spinal marrow,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the tissue of the spinal cord, found in the cavity running through the chain of vertebrae. </DL>
<A NAME="spinaltap">
<B>spinal tap,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the removal of some cerebrospinal fluid from the base of the spine to analyze it for symptoms of brain or spinal disease or to replace it with an anesthetic; lumbar puncture. </DL>
<A NAME="spinar">
<B>spinar, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a rapidly spinning galactic body. </DL>
<B>spindle, </B>noun, adjective, verb, <B>-dled,</B> <B>-dling.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a rod or pin used in spinning to twist, wind, and hold thread. In hand spinning, the spindle is a round, usually wooden rod, tapering toward each end, that revolves and twists into thread the fibers drawn out from the bunch of wool, flax, or other material, on the distaff. In machine spinning, a spindle is one of the many steel rods on which a bobbin is placed to hold the thread as it is spun. <DD><B> 2. </B>a certain quantity or measure of yarn, such as 15,120 yards for cotton and 14,400 yards for linen. <DD><B> 3. </B>any rod or pin that turns around or on which something turns. Axles and shafts are spindles. The two shaftlike parts of a lathe that hold the work are spindles. The small shaft passing through a lock, upon which the knobs or handles are fitted, is also a spindle. <DD><B> 4. </B>something shaped like a spindle. <DD><B> 5. </B>(Biology.) the group of achromatic fibers along which the chromosomes are arranged during mitosis and meiosis. The spindle joins the two newly formed nuclei and forms a rounded figure which tapers from the middle toward each end. <DD><B> 6. </B>one of the turned or circular, supporting parts of a baluster or stair rail. <DD><B> 7. </B>an iron rod or post fixed to a rock, reef, or the like, to warn navigators. <DD><B> 8. </B><B>=hydrometer.</B> <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to grow long and thin. <DD><B> 2. </B>(of a plant) to grow into a long, slender stalk or stem. <DD><I>v.t. </I> to form into the shape of a spindle. </DL>
<A NAME="spindlecell">
<B>spindle cell,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a spindle-shaped or fusiform cell. <BR> <I>Ex. Spindle cells found in the gill covers, chest and throat regions of the minnow Phoxinus laevis ... were in fact closely associated with what seemed to be nerve fibers (New Scientist).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="spindleful">
<B>spindleful, </B>noun, pl. <B>-fuls.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> as much thread or yarn as a spindle can hold. </DL>
<A NAME="spindlelegged">
<B>spindle-legged, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having long, thin legs. </DL>
<A NAME="spindlelegs">
<B>spindlelegs, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Informal.) a person with long, thin legs. </DL>
<B>spindle side,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the female side, or line of descent, of a family; distaff side. </DL>
<A NAME="spindletree">
<B>spindle tree,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any one of a group of trees and shrubs of the staff-tree family, whose hard, fine-grained, yellowish wood was formerly much used for spindles. </DL>
<A NAME="spindling">
<B>spindling, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> very long and slender; too tall and thin. <BR> <I>Ex. a weak, spindling plant.</I> <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a spindling plant or animal. <DD><B> 2. </B>the action of twisting something. </DL>
<B>spin doctor,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S. Slang.) a press agent hired to interpret news events for public presentation. <BR> <I>Ex. You have just been massaged ... --and maybe had--by some savvy movie publicists, the spin doctors of the entertainment industry (Time).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="spindrift">
<B>spindrift, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> spray blown or dashed up from the waves. <BR> <I>Ex. It ... began to blow with furious gusts which angrily tore the small waves of the inland sea into spindrift (Norman Macleod).</I> (SYN) scud. Also, <B>spoondrift.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="spine">
<B>spine, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the series of small bones down the middle of the back in man and other vertebrates; backbone; spinal column. <DD><B> 2a. </B>anything like a backbone; long, narrow ridge or support. <BR> <I>Ex. the spine of a mountain.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>(Figurative.) courage or determination, such as that by which a person is supported in the face of danger or adversity. <BR> <I>Ex. Threats merely stiffened his spine.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Botany.) a stiff, sharp-pointed growth of woody tissue. <BR> <I>Ex. The cactus and hawthorn have spines.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>(Zoology.) <DD><B> a. </B>a stiff, pointed, thornlike part or projection. <BR> <I>Ex. A procupine's spines are called quills.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>a sharp, rigid fin ray of a fish. <DD><B> c. </B><B>=spicule.</B> <DD><B> 5. </B>a slender, pointed process, as of a bone. <DD><B> 6. </B>the supporting back portion of a book cover. adj. <B>spinelike.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="spinechilling">
<B>spine-chilling, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> that causes the spine to tingle with chilling fright; terrifying; exciting. <BR> <I>Ex. Edgar Allan Poe wrote many spine-chilling short stories.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="spined">
<B>spined, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having a spine or spines. </DL>
<A NAME="spinel">
<B>spinel, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a crystalline mineral, consisting chiefly of oxides of magnesium and aluminum, that occurs in various colors. Transparent spinel is used for jewelry. </DL>
<A NAME="spineless">
<B>spineless, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>having no spine or backbone; invertebrate. <BR> <I>Ex. A jellyfish is a spineless animal.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>having a weak or diseased spine; limp. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Figurative.) without courage, determination, or moral force; weak-willed; feeble. <BR> <I>Ex. a spineless coward.</I> (SYN) irresolute. <DD><B> 4. </B>having no spines or sharp-pointed processes. <BR> <I>Ex. a spineless cactus.</I> adv. <B>spinelessly.</B> noun <B>spinelessness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="spinelle">
<B>spinelle, </B>noun. <B>=spinel.</B></DL>
<A NAME="spinelruby">
<B>spinel ruby,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a deep-red variety of the gem spinel; ruby spinel. </DL>
<A NAME="spinescence">
<B>spinescence, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the condition of being spinescent. </DL>
<A NAME="spinescent">
<B>spinescent, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>(Botany.) <DD><B> a. </B>developing into, or ending in, a spine or thorn. <DD><B> b. </B>bearing or covered with spines. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Zoology.) coarse and spinelike, as feathers or hair. </DL>
<A NAME="spinet">
<B>spinet, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>an old-fashioned musical instrument like a small harpsichord. <DD><B> 2. </B>a compact upright piano. </DL>
<A NAME="spinetail">
<B>spinetail, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> any one of various swifts (birds) having tail feathers with stiff, spinelike points. </DL>
<A NAME="spinetailed">
<B>spine-tailed, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having stiff, spine-like points on the tail feathers. </DL>
<A NAME="spinetingling">
<B>spine-tingling, </B>adjective. <B>=spine-chilling.</B> <I>Ex. This mission itself, its spine-tingling dangers [and] hairbreadth escapes, is worthy of an entire book (Wall Street Journal).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="spinfisherman">
<B>spin fisherman,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a person who engages in spin fishing. </DL>
<B>spinigrade, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> moving by means of spines or spinous parts, as a starfish and sea urchin. </DL>
<A NAME="spininess">
<B>spininess, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> spiny quality or state. </DL>
<A NAME="spink">
<B>spink, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Dialect.) the chaffinch. </DL>
<A NAME="spinnable">
<B>spinnable, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> that can spin or be spun. <BR> <I>Ex. a spinnable fiber.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="spinnaker">
<B>spinnaker, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a large, triangular sail carried especially by yachts and sloops, on the side opposite the mainsail when running before the wind. </DL>
<A NAME="spinnakerboom">
<B>spinnaker boom,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a long, light spar to which the foot of a spinnaker is attached. </DL>
