vertebrae definition
Medical Definition of VERTEBRA. : any of the bony or cartilaginous segments that make up the spinal column and that have a short more or less cylindrical body whose ends articulate by pads of elastic or cartilaginous tissue with those of adjacent vertebrae and a bony arch that encloses the spinal cord.ord Root of VERTEBRA. The Latin word vertere, meaning â to turn â or â to change, â and its form versus give us the roots vert and vers. Words from the Latin vertere have something to do with turning or changing.