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A vertebra is one of the small bones that stack up on top of each other to form your backbone. Each one has a hole in the middle, and when they are stacked the holes line up into a tunnel that protects the spinal cord — the thick bundle of nerves running from your brain down your back.
A vertebra vertebra is是 one of the small bones that stack up on top of each other一節一節疊起來的小骨頭之一 to form your backbone構成你的脊椎. Each one每一節 has a hole in the middle中間都有一個洞, and when they are stacked疊起來之後 the holes line up into a tunnel這些洞會排成一條通道 that protects the spinal cord保護脊髓 — the thick bundle of nerves running from your brain down your back也就是從你的腦一路延伸到背部的一大束神經.
Between the bones sit soft pads (discs) that let you bend and twist; a 'slipped disc' is one of those pads pushing out where it should not.
Between the bones sit soft pads (discs)骨頭之間有軟墊（椎間盤） that let you bend and twist讓你可以彎腰扭身; a 'slipped disc' is one of those pads pushing out where it should not「滑脫的椎間盤」就是其中一塊軟墊被擠到不該去的地方.
Humans have about thirty-three of them, though the bottom ones fuse together in adults. The tricky part is the plural: one vertebra, but two or more vertebrae. That plural is Latin and is usually said 'VER-tuh-bray' or 'VER-tuh-bree' — both are heard.
Humans人類 have about thirty-three of them大約有三十三節, though不過 the bottom ones fuse together in adults成年後最下面幾節會融合在一起. The tricky part is麻煩的地方在 the plural複數: one vertebra一節是 vertebra, but two or more vertebrae兩節以上是 vertebrae. That plural is Latin這個複數是拉丁文 and is usually said 'VER-tuh-bray' or 'VER-tuh-bree'通常唸成「VER-tuh-bray」或「VER-tuh-bree」 — both are heard兩種唸法都聽得到.
You will see this word in health talk, sports injuries and biology class. In relaxed conversation people just say 'a bone in my back'; if you say 'I cracked a vertebra', you sound precise and slightly medical, which is often exactly what you want at a clinic.
You will see this word你會看到這個字 in health talk, sports injuries and biology class在健康話題、運動傷害和生物課裡. In relaxed conversation輕鬆聊天時 people just say 'a bone in my back'大家就說「a bone in my back」; if you say 'I cracked a vertebra'如果你說「I cracked a vertebra」, you sound precise and slightly medical聽起來會很精確、有點醫學味, which is often exactly what you want at a clinic而這往往正是你在診所裡想要的效果.
組成From Latin vertebra, 'a joint', built from vertō 'I turn' plus -bra, an ending for the thing that does something. Literally 'the turner' — the bone that lets your back turn and bend.
同家族的字
- vertebratean animal that has vertebrae — a backboned creature
- invertebratein- 'not' + vertebrate — an animal with no backbone
- reversesame Latin vertere 'to turn'
原始詞典資料1 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
vertebranoun/ˈvɜː.tɪb.ɹə/
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anatomymedicinesciencesAny of the bony or cartilaginous segments which make up the backbone, consisting in some lower vertebrates of several distinct elements which never become united, and in higher vertebrates having 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.
- Already I seemed to hear the water rippling against the desiccated bones and rattling them together, rolling my skull against Mahomed's, and his against mine, till at last Mahomed's stood straight up upon its vertebræ, and glared at me through its empty eyeholes, and cursed me with its grinning jaws, because I, a dog of a Christian, disturbed the last sleep of a true believer.
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。