dorsal

¹ American  

[dawr-suhl] / ˈdɔr səl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or situated at the back, or dorsum.

2. Anatomy, Zoology.

   1. situated on or toward the upper side of the body, equivalent to the back, or posterior, in humans.

   2. situated on or toward the posterior plane in humans or toward the upper plane in quadrupeds.

3. Botany. pertaining to the surface away from the axis, as of a leaf; abaxial.

4. Phonetics. (of a speech sound) articulated with the dorsum of the tongue.

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noun

1. Phonetics. a dorsal speech sound.

2. Anatomy. a dorsal structure.

dorsal ² American  

[dawr-suhl] / ˈdɔr səl /

noun

1. dossal.

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dorsal British  

/ ˈdɔːsəl /

adjective

1. anatomy zoology relating to the back or spinal part of the body Compare ventral

2. botany of, relating to, or situated on the side of an organ that is directed away from the axis

3. articulated with the back of the tongue, as the (k) sound in English coot

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dorsal Scientific  

/ dôr′səl /

1. Relating to or on the back or upper surface of an animal.

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Other Word Forms

• dorsally
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of dorsal

1535–45; < Medieval Latin dorsālis, equivalent to Latin dors ( um ) back + -ālis -al ¹

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Explanation

Dorsal is a word taken from anatomy (the study of the body) and refers to things that have to do with one's back. The movie "Jaws" should have been called "Dorsal Fin," because that's almost all you ever see of the famous shark. Like dolphins and sharks, killer whales have prominent dorsal fins on their backs, but it's the ones on their tails you'll want to watch out for. You may have wondered why dogs, cats, and other animals carry their young around by the scruff of their necks. Well, the little one's dorsal sides have extra fat and fur to grab onto. The dorsal side is much harder to damage than the underside (the ventral side) where you'll find their tender tummies and tasty organs.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dorsal

Signals from the limbs and torso travel upward through the dorsal portion of the spinal cord before reaching another neuron in the brainstem, just above the spinal cord.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026

Reductions in the dorsal putamen were associated with slower movement, while lower levels in the caudate putamen were connected with memory difficulties.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026

She often posts footage of her touching sharks and holding their dorsal fins.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

The animal measured just over 8 centimeters long and preserved a dorsal exoskeleton made up of a head shield and nine body segments.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 3, 2026

Aru only had a second to glance back and see the dorsal fin that had scraped Mini’s ankle.

From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi

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