proximal

adjective

prox·​i·​mal ˈpräk-sə-məl How to pronounce proximal (audio)
1
: situated close to : proximate
2
: next to or nearest the point of attachment or origin, a central point, or the point of view
especially : located toward the center of the body compare distal
3
: of, relating to, or being the mesial and distal surfaces of a tooth
proximally adverb

Examples of proximal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Central or proximal pulses are measured at the neck, under the arm or the groin. Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Jan. 2024 However, the proximal neural mechanisms driving dog-human social interaction are unknown. Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 16 Aug. 2016 If the Big Ten picks off one or two of the refugee programs, that adds a couple more proximal rivals to the mix. Nathan Baird, cleveland, 29 July 2023 But even neighborhoods with little or no proximal line damage must wait for upstream fixes at key power plants, substations, and main transmission lines for the lights to come back on, unless Entergy can cobble together some power from backup generators. Lily Hay Newman, Wired, 31 Aug. 2021 Read Next: Here’s What Top Chronic Wasting Disease Researchers Can’t Say on the Record As long as the disease remains contained, Maki hopes ungulates and hunters alike can enjoy the ample CWD-free landscapes that are still proximal to the hot zone—even if eventual spread is inevitable. Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 10 Apr. 2023 This extends the capability of the hand and enables in-place rotation or proximal/distal transfer, for the fine positioning of objects within the gripper workspace. IEEE Spectrum, 14 Mar. 2023 According to the study published by Cambridge University Press, based on humerus length and humerus proximal width, K. fordycei weighed anywhere between 148 kilograms (326 pounds) and 159.7 kilograms (352 pounds). Mac Stone, Discover Magazine, 24 Feb. 2023 In addition, collaboration between the cloud SD-WAN service and the local SD-WAN customer premises equipment (CPE) can benefit security services in two ways: through the almost-infinite scalability of the cloud and the proximal convenience of local CPE. Tim Liu, Forbes, 11 Aug. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'proximal.' 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

Latin proximus

First Known Use

1727, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of proximal was in 1727

Dictionary Entries Near proximal

Cite this Entry

“Proximal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proximal. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

proximal

adjective
prox·​i·​mal ˈpräk-sə-məl How to pronounce proximal (audio)
1
a
: situated next to or near the point of attachment or origin or a central point
the proximal was … better than the peripheral stump for a graftAnnual Review of Medicine
especially : located toward the center of the body
the proximal end of a bone
compare distal sense 1a
b
: of, relating to, or being the mesial and distal surfaces of a tooth
2
: sensory rather than physical or social
proximal stimuli
compare distal sense 2
proximally adverb

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