Meanings
comparative more dorsal · superlative most dorsal · alternative dossal
- With respect to, or concerning the side in which the backbone is located, or the analogous side of an invertebrate.
plural dorsals · alternative dossal
- artA hanging, usually of rich stuff, at the back of a throne, altar, etc.
Near-synonyms: altar screen, rood screen (not always different)
Synonyms: altar screen, rood screen
- biologyAny of the longitudinal series of plates that encircle the body, excluding the ventral scales.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA hanging, usually of rich stuff, at the back of a throne, altar, etc.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivebelonging to or on or near the back or upper surface of an animal or organ or part
adjectivefacing away from the axis of an organ or organism
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Medieval Latindorsālis“of or relating to the back”
- Middle Englishdorsal/dorsale
- Englishdorsal
From Late Middle English dorsal/dorsale, borrowing from Medieval Latin dorsālis (“of or relating to the back”), from dorsum (“the back”) + -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix); equivalent to dorsum + -al.
More words from Middle English, Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic ظَهْرِيّ
- ظَهْرِيّ (ẓahriyy)relating to the side in which the backbone is located
Bulgarian едноостър, гръбен
- едноостър (ednoostăr)having only one sharp side
- гръбен (grăben)relating to the side in which the backbone is located
Catalan dorsal
- dorsalrelating to the side in which the backbone is located
Chinese Mandarin 背側 /背侧, 背側 /背侧
- 背側 /背侧 (bèicè)relating to the top surface of foot or hand
- 背側 /背侧 (bèicè)relating to the side in which the backbone is located
Czech hřbetní, dorzální
- hřbetnírelating to the side in which the backbone is located
- dorzálnírelating to the side in which the backbone is located
Finnish dorsaalinen, dorsaalinen
- dorsaalinenrelating to the top surface of foot or hand
- dorsaalinenproduced using the dorsum of the tongue
- yksiteräinenhaving only one sharp side
- selänpuoleinenrelating to the side in which the backbone is located
French dorsal
- dorsalrelating to the side in which the backbone is located
German dorsal, Rücken-
- dorsalproduced using the dorsum of the tongue
- Rücken-relating to the side in which the backbone is located
- dorsalrelating to the side in which the backbone is located
Italian dorsale
- dorsalerelating to the side in which the backbone is located
Malay belakang, dorsum
- belakangrelating to the side in which the backbone is located
- dorsumrelating to the side in which the backbone is located
- dorsalrelating to the side in which the backbone is located
Polish grzbietowy, dorsalny
- grzbietowyrelating to the side in which the backbone is located
- dorsalnyrelating to the side in which the backbone is located
Portuguese dorsal, dorsal
- dorsalrelating to the top surface of foot or hand
- dorsalrelating to the side in which the backbone is located
Romanian dorsal, dorsal
- dorsalproduced using the dorsum of the tongue
- dorsalrelating to the side in which the backbone is located
Russian ты́льный, среднеязы́чный
- ты́льный (týlʹnyj)relating to the top surface of foot or hand
- среднеязы́чный (srednejazýčnyj)produced using the dorsum of the tongue
- дорса́льный (dorsálʹnyj)produced using the dorsum of the tongue
- единоо́стрый (jedinoóstryj)having only one sharp side
- спинно́й (spinnój)relating to the side in which the backbone is located
- дорса́льный (dorsálʹnyj)relating to the side in which the backbone is located
- хребе́тный (xrebétnyj)relating to the side in which the backbone is located
Slovak chrbtový
- chrbtovýrelating to the side in which the backbone is located
Spanish dorsal
- dorsalrelating to the side in which the backbone is located
Swedish dorsal, dorsal
- dorsalproduced using the dorsum of the tongue
- dorsalrelating to the side in which the backbone is located
- rygg-relating to the side in which the backbone is located
Tagalog panlikod, likuran
- panlikodrelating to the side in which the backbone is located
- likuranrelating to the side in which the backbone is located
Ukrainian спинни́й, хребе́тний
- спинни́й (spynnýj)relating to the side in which the backbone is located
- хребе́тний (xrebétnyj)relating to the side in which the backbone is located
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with dorsal
Cite this entry
dorsal. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dorsal
“dorsal.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dorsal. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dorsal,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dorsal.
Source: dorsal on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.