dorsal

1 of 3

noun (1)

dor·​sal ˈdȯr-səl How to pronounce dorsal (audio)

variant of dossal

: an ornamental cloth hung behind and above an altar

dorsal

2 of 3

adjective

dor·​sal ˈdȯr-səl How to pronounce dorsal (audio)
1
: relating to or situated near or on the back especially of an animal or of one of its parts
2
dorsally adverb

dorsal

3 of 3

noun (2)

: a dorsally located part
especially : a thoracic vertebra

Did you know?

The most famous use of dorsal is with fin, whether it conjures the ominous dorsal fin of sharks or the benign, even benevolent, image of porpoises and dolphins. Less well-known is the botanical sense of dorsal, meaning "facing away from the axis or stem" (thus the underside of a leaf can be the dorsal side), or the linguistic sense referring to articulations made with the back part of the tongue (\k\ and \g\, for example). Dorsal can be used of non-living things too (in particular, the backs of airplanes), as can its opposite, ventral, which means "relating to the belly." Dorsal descends from Latin dorsum ("back"), which also gave us dossier (via French, for a bundle of documents labeled on the back) and reredos ("an ornamental screen or partition wall behind an altar").

Examples of dorsal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The dorsal section plays a role in distinguishing self from other and appears to be task-related, whereas the ventral section, the vmPFC, contributes more to emotional processing. Robert Martone, Scientific American, 21 Dec. 2021 For one, there was the enigma of what scientists had believed was the dorsal organ’s position. Mindy Weisberger, CNN, 24 June 2024
Adjective
As seen in the preview clip below, Hudson invites Hahn to share how the dorsal nudity in Agatha All Along‘s first episode came to be, and then presents her with a plaque commemorating her piece of Marvel history. Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 27 Oct. 2024 When a wave of dorsal/ventral muscle contractions proceeds from the back to the front of the animal, the animal is propelled backwards. John Werner, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dorsal 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dorsal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Late Latin dorsalis, from Latin dorsum back

First Known Use

Adjective

1727, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1834, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dorsal was in 1727

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Dictionary Entries Near dorsal

Cite this Entry

“Dorsal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dorsal. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

dorsal

adjective
dor·​sal
ˈdȯr-səl
: relating to or situated near or on the back (as of an animal)
dorsally
-sə-lē
adverb

Medical Definition

dorsal

1 of 2 adjective
dor·​sal ˈdȯr-səl How to pronounce dorsal (audio)
1
a
: being or located near, on, or toward the upper surface of 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
chiefly British : thoracic
dorsally adverb

dorsal

2 of 2 noun
: a dorsally located part
especially : a thoracic vertebra
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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