lateral line

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noun

the line, or system of lines, of sensory structures along the head and sides of fishes and amphibians, by which the animal is believed to detect water current and pressure changes and vibrations.

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Origin of lateral line

First recorded in 1865–70

Words nearby lateral line

lateral bud, lateral canal, lateral fissure, laterality, lateralization, lateral line, lateral line system, lateral lisp, laterally, lateral magnification, lateral meristem

How to use lateral line in a sentence

This area, called the lateral line, is believed to be sensitive to mechanical stimuli of certain sorts.
A Civic Biology|George William Hunter
Oblique lines, of the darker color of the back, running forward and downward to a little below the lateral line.
Game Birds and Game Fishes of the Pacific Coast|Harry Thom Payne
Below the lateral line are a number of small spots forming irregular lines running backward and upward.
Game Birds and Game Fishes of the Pacific Coast|Harry Thom Payne
It rapidly thins out posteriorly and also approaches closer and closer to the lateral line.
The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume 1|Francis Maitland Balfour

The tubular form is due to a hollowing out of the lateral line itself and a rearrangement of its cells.
The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume 1|Francis Maitland Balfour

Scientific definitions for lateral line

lateral line

A series of tubelike canals along the head and sides of fish and some amphibians by which vibrations, as from water currents, and changes in pressure are detected.