verb (used with object), mortified, mortifying. 1. to humiliate or shame, as by injury to one's pride or self-respect. 2. to subjugate (the body, passions, etc.) by abstinence, ascetic discipline, or self-inflicted suffering. 3. Pathology. to affect with gangrene or necrosis. verb (used without object), mortified, mortifying.
spinal tap noun. plural spinal taps. spinal tap. noun. plural spinal taps. Learner's definition of SPINAL TAP. [count] medical. : a procedure in which a needle is inserted into the spinal cord in order to take out fluid or inject medicine.
1 Other tests may be performed to look for other sources of infection.  Spinal tap: A spinal tap, or lumbar puncture, is necessary to diagnose meningitis. The results of the spinal tap are essential to help the doctor determine both the presence and then the type of meningitis. Correctly diagnosing meningitis is absolutely essential to guide treatment decisions.