English
Etymology
From Middle English bakbon , bakebon , bac-bon , equivalent to back + bone . Compare the semantically analogous Old English hryċġbān ( “ backbone; spine ” ) , West Frisian rêchbonke ( “ backbone ” ) .
Pronunciation
Lua error in Module:parameters at line 307 : Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "UK" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E . IPA (key ) : /ˈbækˌbəʊn/
Lua error in Module:parameters at line 307 : Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "US" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E . IPA (key ) : /ˈbækˌboʊn/
Noun
backbone (countable and uncountable , plural backbones )
The series of vertebrae , separated by disks, that encloses and protects the spinal cord , and runs down the middle of the back in vertebrate animals.
( figuratively ) Any fundamental support , structure , or infrastructure .
Before automobiles, railroads were a backbone of commerce.
( figuratively ) Courage , fortitude , or strength .
He would make a good manager, if he had a little more backbone .
Synonyms
Translations
series of vertebrae that encloses the spinal cord
Arabic: عَمُود فَقْرِيّ m ( ʕamūd faqriyy )
Armenian: ողնաշար (hy) ( oġnašar )
Azerbaijani: onurğa (az)
Basque: bizkarrezur
Brunei Bisaya: boruntud
Bulgarian: гръбнак ( grǎbnak )
Catalan: columna vertebral f ( ground animals and humans ) , espina dorsal f ( fish ) , espinada f ( human )
Central Dusun: oruntud
Chinese:
Mandarin: 骨幹 / 骨干 (zh) ( gǔgàn ) , 骨干 (zh) ( gǔgàn ) , 脊骨 (zh) ( jígǔ ) , 背骨 (zh) ( bèigǔ ) , 脊椎 (zh) ( jǐzhuī )
Coastal Kadazan: tountud
Czech: páteř (cs) f
Danish: rygrad c
Dutch: ruggengraat (nl) m
Esperanto: vertebraro
Finnish: selkäranka (fi)
French: colonne vertébrale (fr) f , rachis (fr) m , épine dorsale (fr) f
Galician: columna vertebral (gl) f
Georgian: ხერხემალი ( xerxemali )
German: Rückgrat (de) n , Wirbelsäule (de) f
Greek: σπονδυλική στήλη (el) f ( spondylikí stíli ) , ραχοκοκαλιά (el) f ( rachokokaliá )
Ancient: ῥάχις f ( rhákhis )
Hebrew: עַמּוּד שִׁדְרָה (he) m ( 'amúd shidrá )
Hungarian: gerincoszlop (hu) , hátgerinc (hu) , gerinc (hu)
Icelandic: hryggur (is) m
Interlingue: Lua error in Module:translations at line 74 : Translations must be for attested and approved main-namespace languages. , Lua error in Module:translations at line 74 : Translations must be for attested and approved main-namespace languages.
Iranun: tangkal
Irish: cnámh droma m , slat droma m
Italian: spina dorsale (it) f , colonna vertebrale (it) f , rachide (it) m
Japanese: 背骨 ( せぼね, sebone ) , 脊椎 (ja) ( せきつい, sekitsui ) , 脊柱 (ja) ( せきちゅう, sekichū )
Kapampangan: gulugud
Khmer: ឆ្អឹងខ្នង ( c’əŋ knɑɑŋ )
Kimaragang: toruntud
Kurdish:
Sorani: Lua error in Module:parameters at line 307 : Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "ku" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E .
(deprecated template usage ) {{trans-mid }}
Latin: columna vertebralis f
Latvian: mugurkauls m
Lotud: toruntud
Macedonian: ’рбет m ( ’rbet ) , ки́чма f ( kíčma )
Malay: tulang belakang
Maori: iwituararo , iwituaroa
Mongolian: please add this translation if you can
Navajo: íígháán , hwííshgháán
Norwegian:
Bokmål: ryggrad m or f , ryggsøyle m or f , virvelsøyle m or f
Nynorsk: ryggrad f , ryggsøyle f , virvelsøyle f
Old English: hryċġbān n
Persian: ستون فقرات (fa) ( sotun-e faqarât )
Polish: kręgosłup (pl) m inan
Portuguese: coluna vertebral (pt) f , espinha (pt) f , espinha dorsal (pt) f
Romanian: coloană vertebrală (ro) f , șira spinării (ro) f ( the backbone )
Russian: позвоно́чник (ru) m ( pozvonóčnik ) , хребе́т (ru) m ( xrebét )
Scottish Gaelic: cnàimh an droma m
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: краљеҗница f , кичма f , хрптењача f
Roman: kralježnica (sh) f , kičma (sh) f , hrptenjača (sh) f
Slovene: hrbtenica (sl) f
Spanish: espina dorsal f , columna vertebral (es) f
Swedish: ryggrad (sv) c
Tagal Murut: baluntur
Tagalog: guluguran , bangananan , gulugod
Tambunan Dusun: toruntud
Tatar: умырткалык (tt) ( umırtkalıq )
Thai: กระดูกสันหลัง (th) ( grà-dùuk-sǎn-lǎng )
Timugon Murut: baluntur
Turkish: omurga (tr)
Vietnamese: xương sống (vi)
Volapük: bäkabom (vo)
West Coast Bajau: teruntud
Yami: vokot
any fundamental support, structure, or infrastructure
courage, fortitude, or strength
Translations to be checked