## Meanings
1. The line of bones down the centre of the back; the backbone.
2. The narrow, bound edge of a book that faces outward on a shelf and usually shows the title.
3. A sharp, stiff point on an animal or plant.

## Examples
- She injured her spine in the fall and had to wear a brace.
- The title and author were printed on the spine of the book.
- A hedgehog is covered in sharp spines for protection.

## Derived Forms
- albaspine
- despine
- drop-spine
- finspine
- fourspine
- holospine
- interspine
- microspine
- multispine
- protospine
- spin-
- spinal

## Related Forms
- spiniferous
- spinigerous
- spinigrade
- spinoidal
- spinule

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *spey-
- Root: spyne
- Root: espine
- Root: spīna

## Etymology
From late Middle English spyne, from Old French espine (French épine) or its source, Latin spīna (“a thorn; a prickle, spine; the backbone”). Doublet of spina.

## AI Etymology
Spine comes from late Middle English spyne, from Old French espine (French épine) or its source, Latin spīna (“a thorn; a prickle, spine; the backbone”). Doublet of spina. The historical chain includes *spey- (Proto-Indo-European), spyne (Middle English), espine (Old French), and spīna (Latin). The surrounding word family includes derived forms such as albaspine, despine, drop-spine, and finspine and related forms such as spiniferous, spinigerous, and spinigrade. In present use it covers the line of bones down the centre of the back; the backbone, the narrow, bound edge of a book that faces outward on a shelf and usually shows the title, and a sharp, stiff point on an animal or plant.

## Topics
- The Human Body

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