Can 'dorsal' be used for objects, like the back of a chair?

No, it is almost exclusively used for living organisms or biological/anatomical structures.

Is 'dorsal' a common word?

No, it is a low-frequency technical term familiar mainly to specialists.

What is a 'dorsal fin'?

It is the fin on the back of a fish or marine mammal, like that of a shark or dolphin.

How is 'dorsal' used in linguistics?

It describes consonants (like [k], [g]) articulated with the back (dorsum) of the tongue against the velum.

Is “dorsal” formal?

Dorsal is usually technical/scientific in register.

How do you pronounce “dorsal”?

Dorsal: in British English it is pronounced /ˈdɔː.səl/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈdɔːr.səl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.

dorsal: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

UK/ˈdɔː.səl/US/ˈdɔːr.səl/

Technical/Scientific

My Flashcards

Quick answer

What does “dorsal” mean?

Relating to or situated on the back.

Audio

Pronunciation

Definition

Meaning and Definition

Relating to or situated on the back.

Pertaining to the upper or posterior surface of an organism or structure; in phonetics, referring to sounds articulated with the back of the tongue.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant semantic differences in usage between UK and US English.

Connotations

Purely technical and neutral in both varieties.

Frequency

Equally rare in general discourse in both regions, confined to specialist contexts.

Grammar

How to Use “dorsal” in a Sentence

[dorsal] + [noun][adjective] + [dorsal] + [noun]

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong

dorsal findorsal surfacedorsal rootdorsal side

medium

dorsal regiondorsal aspectdorsal partdorsal position

weak

dorsal areaprominent dorsallarge dorsal

Examples

Examples of “dorsal” in a Sentence

adjective

British English

The shark's dorsal fin cut through the water.
The surgeon made an incision along the dorsal surface.

American English

The dolphin's dorsal fin was scarred.
MRI showed a lesion on the dorsal side of the spinal cord.

Usage

Meaning in Context

Business

Virtually never used.

Academic

Common in biology, medicine, anatomy, and linguistics papers.

Everyday

Extremely rare; would be misunderstood by most general speakers.

Technical

Standard precise terminology in relevant fields.

Vocabulary

Synonyms of “dorsal”

Strong

abaxialterga

Neutral

posterior upper

Weak

back rear

Vocabulary

Antonyms of “dorsal”

ventralanteriorfront

Watch out

Common Mistakes When Using “dorsal”

Using 'dorsal' to mean 'reverse side' of an inanimate object.
Confusing 'dorsal' with 'dorsum' (the noun form).

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

: No, it is almost exclusively used for living organisms or biological/anatomical structures.
: No, it is a low-frequency technical term familiar mainly to specialists.
: It is the fin on the back of a fish or marine mammal, like that of a shark or dolphin.
: It describes consonants (like [k], [g]) articulated with the back (dorsum) of the tongue against the velum.
: Relating to or situated on the back.
: Dorsal is usually technical/scientific in register.
: Dorsal: in British English it is pronounced /ˈdɔː.səl/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈdɔːr.səl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

“No common idioms”

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Imagine a DORsal fin on a shark's BACK; DORsal sounds like 'door' to the back.

Conceptual Metaphor

THE BACK IS THE TOP (in quadrupedal orientation)

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap

The shark's prominent fin is a key identifying feature.

Multiple Choice

In anatomical terms, 'dorsal' is the opposite of: