Lumbar

How to spell lumbar

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce lumbar

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does lumbar mean?

1. adjectiveRelating to the lower part of the back, between the ribs and the pelvis.

Lumbar in a sentence

• The physiotherapist examined his lumbar spine after the fall.

• An office chair with good lumbar support reduces lower-back strain.

Where does lumbar come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word comes from the Latin lumbus, meaning 'loin' or the fleshy part of the lower back, the same root that gives English the word 'loin' by way of Old French. The adjective form lumbaris, 'relating to the loins', was used in medieval Latin anatomical writing, and English adopted lumbar in the late 1600s as the study of anatomy grew more systematic. It has stayed almost entirely within medical and clinical language, which is why it keeps its scholarly Latin shape rather than softening into an everyday spelling. The crucial trap is the ending: lumbar takes the Latin adjective suffix -ar, not the -er of its near-twin 'lumber' (timber, or to move heavily), and the two are pronounced identically. Remembering that lumbar shares its -ar ending with other anatomical adjectives like 'molar' helps keep it distinct from the wood you stack in a yard.

How the word is built

• lumb- (from Latin lumbus: loin, lower back)
• -ar (adjective suffix meaning 'relating to')

Words that sound like lumbar

They sound the same but mean different things, so the meaning decides which spelling to write.

• lumber: Timber sawn into planks and boards, ready for building or carpentry.