English Explanatory Dictionary

dorsal

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. With respect to, or concerning the side in which the backbone is located, or the analogous side of an invertebrate.
  2. Relating to the top surface of the foot or hand.
  3. Produced using the dorsum of the tongue.
  4. Having only one sharp side.
  5. Relating to the surface naturally inferior, as of a leaf.
  6. Relating to the surface naturally superior, as of a creeping hepatic moss.
noun
  1. A hanging, usually of rich stuff, at the back of a throne, altar, etc.
  2. Any of the longitudinal series of plates that encircle the body, excluding the ventral scales.
  3. A sound produced using the dorsum of the tongue.

Pronunciation

/ˈdɔː.səl/ /ˈdɔː.sl̩/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-dorsal.wav /ˈdɔɹ.səl/

Word forms

dorsal more dorsal most dorsal dossal dorsals

Etymology

From Late Middle English dorsal/dorsale, borrowing from Medieval Latin dorsālis (“of or relating to the back”), from dorsum (“the back”) + -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix); equivalent to dorsum + -al.

Synonyms

altar screen rood screen

Antonyms

ventral

Related words

dossier endorse indorse tabes dorsalis dossal

Derived words

anterodorsal anteriodorsal apicodorsal basidorsal bidorsal caudodorsal centrodorsal cervicodorsal craniodorsal distodorsal dorsal body hormone dorsal fin dorsal hood dorsalisation dorsalization dorsalize dorsalise dorsally dorsalmost dorsal nasal artery dorsal plate dorsal plating dorsal root dorsal root ganglion dorsal slit dorsal striatum dorsal vessel dorsalward dorsalwards holodorsal humerodorsal interdorsal intermediodorsal labiodorsal laterodorsal lumbodorsal lumbo-dorsal mediodorsal mesodorsal mesiodorsal middorsal nondorsal oculodorsal postdorsal posterodorsal predorsal prodorsal proximodorsal retrodorsal rostrodorsal sacrodorsal subdorsal superodorsal supradorsal temporodorsal thoracodorsal ventrodorsal

Translations

Arabic: ظَهْرِيّ Belarusian: спінны́ Bulgarian: гръбен Catalan: dorsal Chinese Mandarin: 背側 /背侧 Czech: hřbetní Czech: dorzální Finnish: selänpuoleinen French: dorsal Galician: dorsal German: Rücken- German: dorsal Italian: dorsale Malay: belakang Malay: dorsum Malay: dorsal Polish: grzbietowy Polish: dorsalny Portuguese: dorsal Romanian: dorsal Russian: спинно́й Russian: дорса́льный Russian: хребе́тный Slovak: chrbtový Spanish: dorsal Swedish: dorsal Swedish: rygg- Tagalog: panlikod Tagalog: likuran Ukrainian: спинни́й Ukrainian: хребе́тний Unami: ùpxkòni
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