bilateral symmetry
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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Nearby words
- bilabial,
- bilabiate,
- bilander,
- bilateral,
- bilateral hermaphroditism,
- bilateral trade,
- bilateralism,
- bilayer,
- bilbao,
- bilberry
Compare radial symmetry.
Origin of bilateral symmetry
First recorded in 1850–55
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
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
bilateral symmetry
n.
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.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.