dorsi-

American  

1. a combining form representing dorsum or dorsal in compound words.

   dorsispinal.

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Usage

What does dorsi- mean? The combining form dorsi- is used like a prefix meaning “dorsum” or “dorsal.” Dorsum is an anatomical term for the back of the human body. Dorsal is the adjective form of dorsum, meaning "of, relating to, or situated at the back." The form dorsi- is very occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in anatomy.The form dorsi- comes from Latin dorsum, meaning “back.” The closest Greek equivalent of dorsum is rhákhis, “spine,” as found in the combining form rachio- and the noun rachis, which refers to the axis of a flower or the spine of a feather. To learn more, check out our entries for rachio- and rachis.What are variants of dorsi-?In some instances, dorsi- becomes dorso-, as in dorsoventral, or dors-, as in dorsalgia. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles for dors- and dorso-.