English Explanatory Dictionary

lateral

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. To the side; of or pertaining to the side.
  2. Situated on one side or other of the body or of an organ, especially in the region furthest from the median plane.
  3. Affecting the side or sides of the body, or confined to one side of the body.
  4. Acting or placed at right angles to a line of motion or strain.
  5. At the same level in hierarchy or rank, especially pertaining to a movement that does not involve a change in rank, status, or level.
  6. Non-linear or unconventional, as in, lateral thinking.
  7. (of a consonant, especially the English clear l) Pertaining to speech sounds generated by partially blocking the egress of the airstream with the tongue, leaving space on one or both sides of the occlusion for air passage.
noun
  1. An object, such as a passage or a protrusion, that is situated on the side of something else.
  2. A sound produced through lateral pronunciation (such as /l/ in lateral).
  3. A lateral pass.
  4. An employee hired for a position at the same organizational level or salary as their previous position.
  5. A lateral canal, a canal built alongside an existing stream.
verb
  1. To move (oneself or something) in a lateral direction.
  2. To execute a lateral pass.

Pronunciation

/ˈlæt(ə)ɹəl/ /ˈlat͡ʃ(ə)ɹəl/ /ˈlat(ə)ɹəl/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-lateral.wav /ˈlætəɹəl/ [ˈlæɾəɹəɫ]

Word forms

lateral more lateral most lateral laterals lateraling lateralling lateraled lateralled

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin laterālis (“belonging to the side”), from latus (“the side or flank”) + -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix).

Antonyms

longitudinal vertical medial

Related words

vastus lateralis

Derived words

acousticolateral ambilateral anterodorsolateral anterolateral apicolateral axiolateral basolateral basilateral bilateral caudolateral centrolateral collateral contralateral controlateral costolateral counterlateral craniolateral dextrolateral distolateral dorsolateral ectolateral equilateral fricolateral frontolateral hemilateral heterolateral homolateral inferolateral intermediolateral ipsilateral isolateral labiolateral lateral aberration lateral area lateral canthus lateral cricoarytenoid muscle lateral cuneiform bone lateral flow test lateral fricative lateral gene transfer lateral geniculate nucleus lateral hood lateralise lateralism lateralist laterality lateralize lateral line laterally lateral malleolus lateral mal lateral mark lateral meningocele syndrome lateral meristem lateral moraine lateralmost lateraloccipital lateral pass lateral pectoral nerve lateral pontine syndrome

Translations

Albanian: anshëm Armenian: կողմնային Bulgarian: страничен Catalan: lateral Czech: postranní Czech: boční Esperanto: lateralo Finnish: sivuttainen Finnish: sivu- French: latéral Galician: lateral German: lateral German: seitlich German: Seiten- Hungarian: oldalsó Hungarian: oldalirányú Hungarian: oldal- Ido: laterala Irish: cliathánach Italian: laterale Japanese: 横 Persian: جانبی Persian: کناری Polish: lateralny Polish: boczny Portuguese: lateral Romanian: lateral Russian: боково́й Russian: латера́льный Serbo-Croatian: бочни Serbo-Croatian: латералан Spanish: lateral Tagalog: panagiliran
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