transverse process

English

Noun

transverse process (plural transverse processes)

1. (anatomy) Either of the two bony processes of a vertebra that project laterally from the neural arch at the junction of a pedicle and lamina and that provide attachment for muscles and ligaments concerned especially with rotation, lateral flexion, and stability of the spinal column.

   Coordinate terms: articular process, spinous process

References

• “transverse process”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.