dorsum

[ dawr-suhm ]

/ ˈdɔr səm /

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noun, plural dor·sa

[dawr-suh]. /ˈdɔr sə/. Anatomy, Zoology.

the back, as of the body.

the back or outer surface of an organ, part, etc.

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Origin of dorsum

Borrowed into English from Latin around 1775–85

Words nearby dorsum

dorsolateral fasciculus, dorsolumbar, dorsosacral position, dorsoventrad, dorsoventral, dorsum, Dort, dorter, Dorticós, Dortmund, dorty

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

How to use dorsum in a sentence

In life the dorsum was rusty brown with irregular black and orange spots and streaks.
Amphibians and Reptiles of the Rainforests of Southern El Peten, Guatemala|William E. Duellman
The belly was bluish gray with black spots laterally; the dorsum was dull brownish gray with some brownish red streaks.
Amphibians and Reptiles of the Rainforests of Southern El Peten, Guatemala|William E. Duellman
In life the dorsum was dull brown; the chin was cream; the belly was yellow, and the underside of the tail was orange.
Amphibians and Reptiles of the Rainforests of Southern El Peten, Guatemala|William E. Duellman
One had an olive-brown dorsum and the other, a reddish orange dorsum.
Amphibians and Reptiles of the Rainforests of Southern El Peten, Guatemala|William E. Duellman

In life the dorsum was bright green; the lateral stripe was white, and the iris was yellowish brown.
Amphibians and Reptiles of the Rainforests of Southern El Peten, Guatemala|William E. Duellman

British Dictionary definitions for dorsum

dorsum

/ (ˈdɔːsəm) /

noun plural -sa (-sə) anatomy

a technical name for the back 1

any analogous surfacethe dorsum of the hand

Word Origin for dorsum

C18: from Latin, literally: 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 dorsum

dorsum

[ dôr′səm ]

n. pl. dor•sa (-sə)

The back.

The upper, outer surface of an organ, appendage, or part.