proximal

[ prok-suh-muhl ]
See synonyms for proximal on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. situated toward the point of origin or attachment, as of a limb or bone.: Compare distal (def. 1).

Origin of proximal

1
1720–30; <Latin proxim(us) next (superlative of prope near) + -al1

Other words from proximal

  • prox·i·mal·ly, adverb
  • in·ter·prox·i·mal, adjective

Words Nearby proximal

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

How to use proximal in a sentence

  • Only the proximal regions of the plates become split in this way, while their peripheral parts remain quite intact.

  • A crest is never developed at the proximal end, like that seen in the Guillemot and Diver and other water birds.

    Dragons of the Air | H. G. Seeley
  • Lizards, too, usually have three bones in the proximal row and five smaller bones in the distal row.

    Dragons of the Air | H. G. Seeley
  • The width of a proximal carpal rarely exceeds two inches, and that of a distal carpal is about an inch and three-quarters.

    Dragons of the Air | H. G. Seeley

British Dictionary definitions for proximal

proximal

/ (ˈprɒksɪməl) /


adjective
  1. anatomy situated close to the centre, median line, or point of attachment or origin: Compare distal

  2. another word for proximate

Derived forms of proximal

  • proximally, adverb

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