distal

dis·tal | \ ˈdi-stᵊl

Definition of distal

1 anatomy : situated away from the point of attachment or origin or a central point especially of the body — compare proximal the distal ends of the tibia and fibula

2 dentistry : of, relating to, or being the surface of a tooth that is next to the tooth behind it or that is farthest from the middle of the front of the jaw — compare mesial sense 2

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Examples of distal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Shortly after exhuming the finger bone, the anthropologists who made the find cut it in half and sent the proximal end to the Max Planck Institute in Germany and the distal end (the very tip of the finger) to the University of California, Berkeley. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Denisovan fossil finger points to the timing of Neanderthal evolution," 4 Sep. 2019 Multiple healed scars of the face, chin and volar surface distal phalanges of the fingers of both hands. — Dawn Mitchell, Indianapolis Star, "John Dillinger's last meal included red peppers. What we know about the outlaw's autopsy and burial.," 2 Aug. 2019 Those who scored high on creativity were rated as better at using distal imagination. — Knvul Sheikh, Scientific American, "Creative Types Reserve a Special Corner of the Brain for Dreaming Big," 22 May 2019 By video, the hope for good news is that there is nothing to suggest a distal biceps tendon tear, which would require surgery. — Profootballdoc, sandiegouniontribune.com, "UPDATED: Biceps injury might not even keep Stephon Tuitt out one game," 11 Sep. 2017 Both were carted off the field and undoubtedly will undergo X-rays to rule out a distal fibula fracture. — Profootballdoc, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Broncos receivers Sanders, McKenzie suffer similar injuries," 15 Oct. 2017 Symptoms include tenderness over the middle or most distal portion of the metatarsal (long foot bone) with moderate swelling on the top of the foot. — Julie Isphording, Cincinnati.com, "How to keep your most important extremities healthy," 10 July 2017 Surgeons can close the hole and create a valve, but long-term outcomes vary, in large part because some patients also have undersized distal pulmonary arteries. — Nara Schoenberg, chicagotribune.com, "Surgeon explains Kimmel baby's heart defect," 2 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'distal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near distal

distal convoluted tubule

distale

distance

Statistics for distal

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“Distal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/distal. Accessed 25 Feb. 2020.

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More Definitions for distal

distal

adjective

dis·tal | \ ˈdis-tᵊl

Medical Definition of distal

1 : situated away from the point of attachment or origin or a central point: as

a : located away from the center of the body the distal end of a bone — compare proximal sense 1a

b : located away from the mesial plane of the body — compare mesial sense 2

c : of, relating to, or being the surface of a tooth that is next to the following tooth counting from the middle of the front of the upper or lower jaw or that faces the back of the mouth in the case of the last tooth on each side — compare mesial sense 3, proximal sense 1b

2 : physical or social rather than sensory — compare proximal sense 2