dorsal fin

noun

the fin or finlike integumentary expansion generally developed on the back of aquatic vertebrates.

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Origin of dorsal fin

First recorded in 1760–70

Words nearby dorsal fin

dorsal column of spinal cord, dorsal digital artery, dorsal digital nerve, dorsal digital nerve of foot, dorsal digital vein of toe, dorsal fin, dorsal flexure, dorsal horn, dorsal interosseous muscle of foot, dorsal interosseous muscle of hand, dorsal lateral cutaneous nerve
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for dorsal fin

  • In the figure there is represented the cross-section of a fish (its dorsal-fin D) just before the spear strikes.

    Along Alaska's Great River|Frederick Schwatka

British Dictionary definitions for dorsal fin

dorsal fin

noun

any unpaired median fin on the backs of fishes and some other aquatic vertebrates: maintains balance during locomotion
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