spinal nerve
noun
plural spinal nerves
: any of the paired nerves which leave the spinal cord of a craniate vertebrate, supply muscles of the trunk and limbs, and connect with the nerves of the sympathetic nervous system, which arise by a short motor ventral root and a short sensory dorsal root, and of which there are 31 pairs in humans
Examples of spinal nerve in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And while stimulating spinal nerves to generate sensation in a missing limb isn’t a new idea, the researchers wanted to test whether that could also reduce pain.
—
Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 15 Dec. 2023
That’s because the tongue is controlled by a cranial nerve, but the hands are controlled by spinal nerves.
—R. Douglas Fields, Quanta Magazine, 28 Aug. 2023
Injuries that cause a herniated disk may lead to spinal nerve root compression.
—Sarah Fielding, Health, 3 July 2023
Muscles, bones, discs, spinal nerves, internal organs, or underlying illness can directly or indirectly cause lower back pain.
—Stuart Hershman, Verywell Health, 26 June 2023
Epidurals involve injecting an anesthetic directly into the spine in a space around spinal nerves called the epidural space.
—Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 25 May 2023
In this view, magnified 10,000 times, myelin encases the axons of a mouse’s spinal nerve root, part of the spinal cord that communicates with the brain.
—Ernie Mastroianni, Discover Magazine, 8 June 2017
Scaroni suffered the most serious injuries from the accident, severing her thoracic spinal nerve when she was thrust forward by the impact, paralyzing her below the waist.
—Scooby Axson, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2022
This study redesigned technology originally used to alleviate pain to target spinal nerve roots.
—Tasnim Ahmed, CNN, 7 Feb. 2022
Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 15 Dec. 2023
That’s because the tongue is controlled by a cranial nerve, but the hands are controlled by spinal nerves.
—R. Douglas Fields, Quanta Magazine, 28 Aug. 2023
Injuries that cause a herniated disk may lead to spinal nerve root compression.
—Sarah Fielding, Health, 3 July 2023
Muscles, bones, discs, spinal nerves, internal organs, or underlying illness can directly or indirectly cause lower back pain.
—Stuart Hershman, Verywell Health, 26 June 2023
Epidurals involve injecting an anesthetic directly into the spine in a space around spinal nerves called the epidural space.
—Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 25 May 2023
In this view, magnified 10,000 times, myelin encases the axons of a mouse’s spinal nerve root, part of the spinal cord that communicates with the brain.
—Ernie Mastroianni, Discover Magazine, 8 June 2017
Scaroni suffered the most serious injuries from the accident, severing her thoracic spinal nerve when she was thrust forward by the impact, paralyzing her below the waist.
—Scooby Axson, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2022
This study redesigned technology originally used to alleviate pain to target spinal nerve roots.
—Tasnim Ahmed, CNN, 7 Feb. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spinal nerve.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1683, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near spinal nerve
Cite this Entry
“Spinal nerve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spinal%20nerve. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
spinal nerve
noun
: any of the paired nerves which arise from the spinal cord and pass to various parts of the body and of which there are normally 31 pairs in human beings
Medical Definition
spinal nerve
noun
: any of the paired nerves which leave the spinal cord of a craniate vertebrate, supply muscles of the trunk and limbs, and connect with the nerves of the sympathetic nervous system, which arise by a short motor ventral root and a short sensory dorsal root, and of which there are 31 pairs in humans classified according to the part of the spinal cord from which they arise into 8 pairs of cervical nerves, 12 pairs of thoracic nerves, 5 pairs of lumbar nerves, 5 pairs of sacral nerves, and one pair of coccygeal nerves
More from Merriam-Webster on spinal nerve
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about spinal nerve
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