Dorsal

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)sÉ™l

Origin

From Middle French dorsal, from Latin dorsālis ("of or relating to the back").

Full definition of dorsal

Adjective

1. (anatomy) With respect to, or concerning the side in which the backbone is located, or the analogous side of an invertebrate.
2. (of a knife) Having only one sharp side.
3. (anatomy) Relating to the top surface of the foot or hand.
4. (linguistics, of a sound) Produced using the dorsum of the tongue.
5. (botany) Relating to the surface naturally inferior, as of a leaf.
6. (botany) Relating to the surface naturally superior, as of a creeping hepatic moss.

Antonyms

• ventral

Coordinate terms

• (linguistics) labial, coronal, radical, laryngeal

Derived terms

• dorsal fin
• dorsally

Related terms

• endorse, indorse

Noun

1. (art) A hanging, usually of rich stuff, at the back of a throne, altar, etc.
2. In snakes, any of the longitudinal series of plates that encircle the body, excluding the ventral scales.

Anagrams

• lardos