spines

IPA/spaɪn/
KK[spˈaɪnz]IPA/spaɪn/

spines — noun

  • spinessingular
  • spinesesplural

1. the connected row of small bones that runs down the middle of a person's or anim

1.名詞B1
釋義

the connected row of small bones that runs down the middle of a person's or animal's back, supporting the body and surrounding the spinal cord

例句

Theo fell off his bike and landed badly, hurting his spine in two places.

possessive + spine for injury context

During yoga, the teacher told Ananya to lengthen her spine rather than round it.

lengthen + spine (yoga instruction pattern)

同義詞
  • backbone

    more informal and also used in figurative expressions

  • spinal column

    the formal anatomical term, less common in everyday speech

  • vertebral column

    the technical medical term for the spine

文法句型

possessive + spine

article + spine + of + body part

用法筆記

Frequently used with possessive determiners (my spine, his spine) or with 'the' followed by 'of' (the spine of the patient). 'Back' is the more general term for the rear of the body; 'spine' refers specifically to the bone column inside it.

常見錯誤

❌I have a pain in my spine after sitting all day.
✅I have a pain in my back after sitting all day.
💡For general muscle aches without a medical diagnosis, 'back' is more natural than 'spine.'
❌The doctor said I broke a spine bone.
✅The doctor said I fractured a vertebra.
💡Individual bones of the spine are called vertebrae, not 'spine bones.'

2. a thin, sharp, pointed part growing from the skin of certain animals or from the

2.名詞B1
釋義

a thin, sharp, pointed part growing from the skin of certain animals or from the surface of some plants, helping to protect them — for instance, the spikes found on cactuses, hedgehogs, and porcupines

例句

Kwame carefully touched the cactus and felt its long spines on his fingertips.

spines + on + animal/plant

The hedgehog curled up and pointed its spines outward to scare the fox away.

possessive + spines for protective behaviour

同義詞
  • thorn

    used for plants like roses; technically a modified branch rather than a modified leaf

  • quill

    specifically the long, hollow spines of a porcupine

  • prickle

    a small, fine pointed growth on a plant or animal

文法句型

plural: spines + on + noun

spines + of + plant/animal

用法筆記

In botany, 'spines' are sharply pointed modified leaves or parts of a stem (as on a cactus), while 'thorns' are modified branches (as on a rose). In everyday use, many speakers use 'spines,' 'thorns,' and 'prickles' somewhat interchangeably, but biology texts keep the distinction.

常見錯誤

❌The rose bush has many sharp spines.
✅The rose bush has many sharp thorns.
💡Roses have thorns (modified branches), not spines (modified leaves or leaf parts).
❌I stepped on a spine from the sea urchin.
✅I stepped on a sea urchin spine.
💡The preposition 'from' is unusual here; describe the creature as a modifier.

3. the narrow outer edge of a book where the front and back covers join, typically

3.名詞B1
釋義

the narrow outer edge of a book where the front and back covers join, typically showing the title together with the author's name

例句

Sofia picked up the novel and read the title printed on the spine.

title + on + the + spine

The librarian carefully repaired the damaged spine of the old dictionary with strong glue.

同義詞
  • book back

    less common term for the spine of a book

  • backstrip

    a formal publishing term for the material covering the spine

文法句型

the + spine + of + book

on the + spine

常見錯誤

❌I wrote my name on the spine of the notebook.
✅I wrote my name on the cover of the notebook.
💡The spine is the narrow edge between covers; it is usually too narrow to write on.
❌The book spine was torn off.
✅The cover of the book was torn off.' or 'The book was missing its spine.
💡Use 'spine' for the edge, not the whole front or back cover.