spondyle

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noun

A joint of the backbone; a vertebra.

OriginMiddle English spondile ← Latin spondylus ← Ancient Greek σφόνδῠλος →
Scrabble 14
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Meanings

nounspondyle (plural spondyles)

plural spondyles · alternative spondyl

  1. archaicanatomyA joint of the backbone; a vertebra.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
vertebra

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekσφόνδῠλος“vertebra”
  2. Latinspondylus
  3. Middle Englishspondile
  4. Englishspondyle

From Middle English spondile, spondyle, from Latin spondylus, from Ancient Greek σφόνδῠλος (sphóndŭlos, “vertebra”).

More words from Middle English, Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

spondyle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spondyle

MLA

“spondyle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spondyle. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “spondyle,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spondyle.

Source: spondyle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.