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

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

How to use distal in a sentence

The limbs were orange proximally and black distally; the pads of the feet were bluish black.
Amphibians and Reptiles of the Rainforests of Southern El Peten, Guatemala|William E. Duellman
Antenn, tentacular cirri and notocirri banded at base and distally with black.
Journal of Entomology and Zoology, Vol. 11. No. 1.|Various
Neurocirri slender, subcylindric, somewhat conical distally or sometimes a little clavate, surpassing end of parapodium.
Journal of Entomology and Zoology, Vol. 11. No. 1.|Various
There is very little appearance of annulation of the stem, and no evidence of the "stem increasing in diameter distally."
Journal of Entomology and Zoology: Volume 6, Number 4, December 1914|Various

The horns of both sexes are prominently ridged for the basal half of their length and perfectly smooth distally.
Camps and Trails in China|Roy Chapman Andrews and Yvette Borup Andrews

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

Medical definitions for distal

distal

[ dĭs′təl ]

adj.

Anatomically located far from a point of reference, such as an origin or a point of attachment.

Situated farthest from the middle and front of the jaw, as a tooth or tooth surface.