Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

dorsal

/ˈdɔɹ.səl/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.45 in modern English

Syllables
dor-sal
IPA
/ˈdɔɹ.səl/
7
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

With respect to, or concerning the side in which the backbone is located, or the analogous side of an invertebrate.

adj

With respect to, or concerning the side in which the backbone is located, or the analogous side of an invertebrate.

adj

Having only one sharp side.

adj

Relating to the surface naturally inferior, as of a leaf.

adj

Relating to the surface naturally superior, as of a creeping hepatic moss.

noun

A hanging, usually of rich stuff, at the back of a throne, altar, etc.

noun

Any of the longitudinal series of plates that encircle the body, excluding the ventral scales.

noun

A sound produced using the dorsum of the tongue.

Example Sentences

Etymology

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.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈdɔɹ.səl/
  • British English: /ˈdɔː.səl/

Inflected Forms

more dorsal (comparative) most dorsal (superlative) dossal (alternative) dorsals (plural)

Derived Forms

anterodorsal anteriodorsal apicodorsal basidorsal bidorsal caudodorsal centrodorsal cervicodorsal craniodorsal distodorsal dorsalisation dorsalization

Phrases

dorsal body hormone dorsal fin dorsal hood dorsal nasal artery dorsal plate dorsal plating dorsal root dorsal root ganglion

Frequently Paired Words

dossier endorse indorse tabes dorsalis coronal labial laryngeal radical

Synonyms

altar screen rood screen abaxial

Antonyms

ventral

Rhymes With

morsel forsell subdorsal caudodorsal predorsal ventrodorsal dorsel anterodorsal mediodorsal laterodorsal thoracodorsal basidorsal

Questions

How do you pronounce dorsal?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈdɔɹ.səl/.
What does dorsal mean?
With respect to, or concerning the side in which the backbone is located, or the analogous side of an invertebrate.
Where does dorsal come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce dorsal

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “dorsal”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈdɔɹ.səl/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “dorsal”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “dorsal” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.