lateral

[ lat-er-uhl ]
See synonyms for: laterallaterally on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. of or relating to the side; situated at, proceeding from, or directed to a side: a lateral view.

  2. pertaining to or entailing a position, office, etc., that is different but equivalent or roughly equivalent in status, as distinguished from a promotion or demotion: a lateral move.

  1. Phonetics. articulated so that the breath passes on either or both sides of the tongue, as l.

noun
  1. a lateral part or extension, as a branch or shoot.

  2. Mining. a small drift off to the side of a principal one.

  1. Phonetics. a lateral speech sound.

  2. Football. lateral pass.

verb (used without object)
  1. Football. to throw a lateral pass.

  2. to move laterally or sideways: migrating birds lateraling down into Cape May.

verb (used with object)
  1. Football. to throw (the ball) in a lateral pass.

Origin of lateral

1
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin laterālis “of the side,” equivalent to later- (stem of latus ) “side” + -ālis -al1

Other words from lateral

  • lat·er·al·ly, adverb
  • pseu·do·lat·er·al, adjective

Words Nearby lateral

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use lateral in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for lateral

lateral

/ (ˈlætərəl) /


adjective
  1. of or relating to the side or sides: a lateral blow

  2. phonetics (of a speech sound like l) pronounced with the tip of the tongue touching the centre of the alveolar ridge, leaving space on one or both sides for the passage of the airstream

noun
  1. a lateral object, part, passage, or movement

  2. phonetics a lateral speech sound

  1. botany a branch, leaf, or bud that grows out from the side of a stem or trunk

Origin of lateral

1
C17: from Latin laterālis, from latus side

Derived forms of lateral

  • laterally, adverb

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