bilateral symmetry

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noun Biology.

a basic body plan in which the left and right sides of the organism can be divided into approximate mirror images of each other along the midline.

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Compare radial symmetry.

Origin of bilateral symmetry

First recorded in 1850–55

Words nearby bilateral symmetry

bilabiate, bilander, bilateral, bilateral hermaphroditism, bilateralism, bilateral symmetry, bilateral trade, Bila Tserkva, bilayer, Bilbao, bilberry

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use bilateral symmetry in a sentence

All animals with bilateral symmetry, meaning their left and right sides are mirror images, share similar body plans.
Animals have an internal ‘GPS’ that tells body parts where to grow|Ethan Bier/The Conversation|November 12, 2021|Popular-Science
Now the question in Colombia, is, will a bilateral ceasefire be announced in coming days?
Did The U.S.-Cuba Deal Help Drive A Rebel Ceasefire in Colombia?|Richard McColl|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the past, Santos has been stubbornly opposed to a bilateral ceasefire, but his position on the issue may be shifting.
Did The U.S.-Cuba Deal Help Drive A Rebel Ceasefire in Colombia?|Richard McColl|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But, he says, what ultimately makes a hat look good on a person is the symmetry of the crown of their head to their jaw line.
The Harlem Hat Shop You Have to Visit|Justin Jones|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST

In a nice bit of symmetry, 56% of Democrats said that Bush should be impeached in July of 2007, according to a Rasmussen survey.
The Absurd Impeachment Feedback Loop|John Avlon|July 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Somehow, finding a Jew to blame makes up sort of deep symmetry that allows people to comfort themselves that they have an answer.
Ron Rosenbaum on Hitler, Hollywood, and Quantifying Evil|William O’Connor|July 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If now we turn to the higher aspects of form, such as symmetry and proportion, we encounter a difficulty.
Children's Ways|James Sully
Among the ladies of "gentle blood," however, there is more of the asserted aristocratic symmetry and beauty than among the men.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
The cubicula were also defaced, their symmetry injured, and their construction endangered by similar imprudent excavations.
The Catacombs of Rome|William Henry Withrow
He had such a good sense of symmetry that his piles were always extremely neat.
Kari the Elephant|Dhan Gopal Mukerji
We perceive art in the arrangement of sentences, in the rhythm, in the symmetry of construction.
Beacon Lights of History, Volume I|John Lord

British Dictionary definitions for bilateral symmetry

bilateral symmetry

noun

the property of an organism or part of an organism such that, if cut in only one plane, the two cut halves are mirror images of each otherSee also radial symmetry

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for bilateral symmetry

bilateral symmetry

Symmetrical arrangement, as of an organism or a body part, along a central axis, so that the body is divided into equivalent right and left halves by only one plane.

Scientific definitions for bilateral symmetry

bilateral symmetry

[ bī-lăt′ər-əl ]

Symmetrical arrangement of an organism or part of an organism along a central axis, so that the organism or part can be divided into two equal halves. Bilateral symmetry is a characteristic of animals that are capable of moving freely through their environments. Compare radial symmetry.