vertebrate
das Wirbeltier, die Wirbeltiere
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vertebrate
An animal with a backbone and an internal skeleton. Vertebrates include fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
Der Hund ist ein Wirbeltier und hat eine deutlich ausgeprägte Wirbelsäule.
A dog is a vertebrate and has a clearly defined backbone.
| gender | neuter das |
|---|---|
| plural | die Wirbeltiere |
| genitive | des Wirbeltieres |
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | das Wirbeltier | die Wirbeltiere |
| accusative | das Wirbeltier | die Wirbeltiere |
| dative | dem Wirbeltier | den Wirbeltieren |
| genitive | des Wirbeltieres des Wirbeltiers | der Wirbeltiere |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
'Wirbeltier' (vertebrate) is made up of 'Wirbel' (vertebra) and 'Tier' (animal). The first component refers to the backbone, which is a defining feature of this group of animals.
Das Forschungsteam untersuchte die Wirbelsäule eines großen Wirbeltiers.
The research team examined the backbone of a large vertebrate.
'Wirbeltier' (vertebrate) is primarily used in the technical language of biology, but it also appears in school textbooks and texts for general readers. The word refers to a zoological group of animals.
Im Biologieunterricht lernten die Kinder verschiedene Wirbeltiere kennen.
In biology class, the children learned about various vertebrates.
Common collocations include 'ein Wirbeltier untersuchen' (to examine a vertebrate), 'Wirbeltiere beobachten' (to observe vertebrates), and 'Wirbeltierarten bestimmen' (to identify vertebrate species). The word often appears in texts about zoology, ecology, or nature conservation.
Die Biologin konnte mehrere Wirbeltiere in ihrem natürlichen Lebensraum beobachten.
The biologist was able to observe several vertebrates in their natural habitat.
