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dorsal
1[ dawr-suhl ]
/ ˈdɔr səl /
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adjective
of, relating to, or situated at the back, or dorsum.
Anatomy, Zoology.
- situated on or toward the upper side of the body, equivalent to the back, or posterior, in humans.
- situated on or toward the posterior plane in humans or toward the upper plane in quadrupeds.
Botany. pertaining to the surface away from the axis, as of a leaf; abaxial.
Phonetics. (of a speech sound) articulated with the dorsum of the tongue.
noun
Phonetics. a dorsal speech sound.
Anatomy. a dorsal structure.
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Origin of dorsal
1OTHER WORDS FROM dorsal
dor·sal·ly, adverbWords nearby dorsal
Other definitions for dorsal (2 of 2)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use dorsal in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for dorsal
dorsal
/ (ˈdɔːsəl) /
adjective
botany of, relating to, or situated on the side of an organ that is directed away from the axis
articulated with the back of the tongue, as the (k) sound in English coot
Derived forms of dorsal
dorsally, adverbWord Origin for dorsal
C15: from Medieval Latin dorsālis, from Latin dorsum back
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 dorsal
dorsal
[ dôr′səl ]
adj.
Of, toward, on, in, or near the back or upper surface of an organ, a part, or an organism.
Lying on the back; supine.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific definitions for dorsal
dorsal
[ dôr′səl ]
Relating to or on the back or upper surface of an animal.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.