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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
Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 3 Jan. 2024
With its flowing lines and trademark dorsal seam, the Type 57 SC is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful cars ever built.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 7 Dec. 2023
The largest of Antarctica’s penguin species, emperors are distinguished in adulthood by their sleek black dorsal feathers, gold-streaked beaks and a resting posture that gives the impression of a bird looking regally skyward.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2023
For example, a ray's wing or a dolphin's dorsal could look like a shark fin when sticking out of the water.
—Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 3 Aug. 2023
There are risks associated with selective dorsal rhizotomy, most commonly ongoing numbness in the legs after the operation, but the benefits may outweigh the risks for many people.
—Lauren Sieben, SELF, 22 Mar. 2022
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
Thanks to their poisonous dorsal spines, the lionfish are also extravagantly ugly.
—Tony Perrottet, WSJ, 15 Aug. 2022
Water bottles fit into twin side pockets, while extra layers tuck into a stretchy dorsal pocket.
—Elizabeth Miller, Outside Online, 27 May 2022
Andrew Torgan, CNN, 24 Mar. 2024
True to their name, yellowfin tuna have bright yellow dorsal and anal fins with dark blue coloring on the back and upper sides that transitions into a silver belly.
—David A. Brown, Field & Stream, 7 Mar. 2024
But when arch rivals scored against their team, super fans also experienced a deactivation of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC).
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 13 Feb. 2024
Useful tip: When handling and cleaning catfish, be mindful of the three sharp, poisonous barbs located on the dorsal and pectoral fins.
—Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024
Alternatively, cut the top fillet in half lengthwise, slicing down the length of the fish with a knife to separate the dorsal meat from the belly meat.
—Domenica Marchetti, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
Enlarge / From a dorsal perspective, this illustration highlights the structural details exhibited by the female mite, Pyemotes ventricosus.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 26 June 2023
The array was positioned to specifically stimulate the dorsal ganglia that most directly controlled Gauthier’s gait.
—IEEE Spectrum, 19 Nov. 2023
Except the dorsal vagal complex hasn’t actually been proved to exist in humans.
—Kristen Martin, Washington Post, 2 Aug. 2023
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.
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“Dorsal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dorsal. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
dorsal
adjective
Medical Definition
dorsal
2 of 2 noun
More from Merriam-Webster on dorsal
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for dorsal
Nglish: Translation of dorsal for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of dorsal for Arabic Speakers
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