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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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of dorsum

Borrowed into English from Latin around 1775–85

Words nearby dorsum

dorsiventral, dorso-, dorsolateral, dorsolumbar, dorsoventral, dorsum, Dort, dorter, Dorticós, Dortmund, dorty

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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