distal

[ dis-tl ]

/ ˈdɪs tl /

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adjective

situated away from the point of origin or attachment, as of a limb or bone; terminal.Compare proximal.

Dentistry. directed away from the sagittal plane or midline of the face, along the dental arch.Compare buccal (def. 3), mesial (def. 2).

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Origin of distal

First recorded in 1800–10; dist(ant) + -al¹

OTHER WORDS FROM distal

dis·tal·ly, adverb

Words nearby distal

distad, distaff, distaffer, distaff side, distain, distal, distance, distance learning, distance medley, distance modulus, distance race

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use distal in a sentence

The distal aspect of her left humerus was sticking out of the front of her arm.
New Orleans Shooting: I Saw the Mother’s Day Parade Gunman|Jarratt Pytell|May 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The distal muscles, those further away like the hands and feet, are less likely to be less affected.
‘Bucket List’ Baby Avery Canahuati: Facts About Spinal Muscular Atrophy|Andrew Carter|May 3, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The intermediate and distal phalanges of the index finger show contraction, as if the Palestinian Arab were squeezing something.
The Crime of Kufr Qaddoum: An EmergencyStandWithDavidMonitor Animal Rights Division Expose|Eli Valley|March 29, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The distal one third of the baculum curves sharply but smoothly upwards (see fig. 9).
Genera and Subgenera of Chipmunks|John A. White

Thus the radii of such a circle unite in a single centre by extremities similar to the distal and originating (extremities).
Plotinos: Complete Works, v. 3|Plotinos (Plotinus)
Cleanse the skin of the distal phalanx of the second finger of the left hand above the root of the nail with lint and ether.
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique|John William Henry Eyre
This investment completely surrounds the proximal portion of the posterior root, but vanishes near its distal extremity.
The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume 1|Francis Maitland Balfour
The blade shape is excurvate but may be almost straight with an acute distal end.
Handbook of Alabama Archaeology: Part I Point Types|James W. Cambron

British Dictionary definitions for distal

distal

/ (ˈdɪstəl) /

adjective

anatomy (of a muscle, bone, limb, etc) situated farthest from the centre, median line, or point of attachment or originCompare proximal

Derived forms of distal

distally, adverb

Word Origin for distal

C19: from distant + -al 1

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