Invertebrate

//ɪnˈvəːtɪbrət// adj, noun, slang

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Without a backbone: without vertebrae. not-comparable

    "Tear it up, and put a fragment under the microscope, and, wonder of wonders! see the maze of geometric forms exhibited in the bones of the creature; for who can help regarding the spicules as bones, even though a sponge be invertebrate?"

  2. 2
    Cowardly, uncourageous; lacking character. not-comparable

    "This week Fifa’s morally invertebrate president, Gianni Infantino, gave a speech that attempted to paint his World Cup as a marker of a grand struggle between the bright new world and corrupt old Europe, with Infantino himself the Mandela at its centre."

Adjective
  1. 1
    lacking a backbone or spinal column wordnet
Noun
  1. 1
    An animal without vertebrae (i.e., without a backbone).

    "Yet despite sounding inhospitable, grasslands such as this are home to a huge variety of smaller herbs and wildflowers, including some of the UK's rarest orchids and invertebrates, in addition to being home to butterfly species such as the Chalkhill Blue."

  2. 2
    any animal lacking a backbone or notochord; the term is not used as a scientific classification wordnet
  3. 3
    A spineless person; a coward. informal

Etymology

Etymology 1

From in- + vertebrate.

Etymology 2

From in- + vertebrate.

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