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dorsal - 11 dictionary results

dor⋅sal

1  [dawr-suhl]
Use dorsal in a Sentence
–adjective
1. of, pertaining to, or situated at the back, or dorsum.
2. Anatomy, Zoology.
a. situated on or toward the upper side of the body, equivalent to the back, or posterior, in humans.
b. situated on or toward the posterior plane in humans or toward the upper plane in quadrupeds.
3. Botany. pertaining to the surface away from the axis, as of a leaf; abaxial.
4. Phonetics. (of a speech sound) articulated with the dorsum of the tongue.
–noun
5. Phonetics. a dorsal speech sound.
6. Anatomy. a dorsal structure.
Origin:
1535–45; < ML dorsālis, equiv. to L dors(um) back + -ālis -al 1

Related forms:
dor⋅sal⋅ly, adverb

dor⋅sal

2  [dawr-suhl]
–noun
dossal (def. 1).

dos⋅sal

  [dos-uhl]
–noun
1. Also, dorsal. an ornamental hanging placed at the back of an altar or at the sides of the chancel.
2. Archaic. dosser 1 (def. 2).
Also, dossel.

Origin:
1650–60; < ML dossale, for L dorsale, neut. of dorsālis, equiv. to dors(um) back + -ālis -al 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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dor·sal   (dôr'səl)   
adj.  
  1. Anatomy Of, toward, on, in, or near the back or upper surface of an organ, part, or organism.
  2. Botany Of or on the outer surface, underside, or back of an organ.

[Middle English, from Late Latin dorsālis, from Latin dorsuālis, from dorsum, back.]
dor'sal·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Dorsal

Dor"sal\, a. [F. dorsal, LL. dorsalis, fr. L. dorsualis, fr. dorsum back; cf. Gr. ?, ?, mountain ridge. Cf. Dorse, Dorsel, Dosel.]

1. (Anat.) Pertaining to, or situated near, the back, or dorsum, of an animal or of one of its parts; notal; tergal; neural; as, the dorsal fin of a fish; the dorsal artery of the tongue; -- opposed to ventral.

2. (Bot.) (a) Pertaining to the surface naturally inferior, as of a leaf. (b) Pertaining to the surface naturally superior, as of a creeping hepatic moss.

Dorsal vessel (Zo["o]l.), a central pulsating blood vessel along the back of insects, acting as a heart.

Dorsal

Dor"sal\, n. [LL. dorsale, neut. fr. dorsalis. See Dorsal, a.] (Fine Arts) A hanging, usually of rich stuff, at the back of a throne, or of an altar, or in any similar position.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : dorsal
Spanish: dorsal,
German: Rücken-…,
Japanese: 背の
More Translations »

dorsal 
1541, from M.Fr. dorsal, from L.L. dorsalis, from L. dorsualis "of the back," from dorsum "back," of uncertain origin.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: 1dor·sal
Pronunciation: 'dor-s&l
Function: adjective
1 a : being or located near, on, or toward the upper surfaceof an animal (as a quadruped) opposite the lower or ventral surface b : being or located near, on, or toward the back or posterior part of the human body
2 chieflyBritish : THORACIC —dor·sal·ly /-s&-lE/ adverb

Main Entry: 2dorsal
Function: noun
: a dorsally located part; especially : a thoracic vertebra
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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dorsal dor·sal (dôr'səl)
adj.

  1. Of, toward, on, in, or near the back or upper surface of an organ, a part, or an organism.
  2. Lying on the back; supine.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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dorsal   (dôr'səl)  Pronunciation Key 
Relating to or on the back or upper surface of an animal.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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