orthodromically
|or-tho-dro-mic-al-ly|
🇺🇸
/ˌɔrθəˈdrɑmɪkli/
🇬🇧
/ˌɔːθəˈdrɒmɪkli/
(orthodromic)
straight course / normal direction
Etymology
'orthodromically' originates from Greek, specifically the elements 'orthos' and 'dromos', where 'orthos' meant 'straight' or 'correct' and 'dromos' meant 'running' or 'course'.
'orthodrome' and related forms were coined in scientific/navigation contexts (19th century) from Greek 'orthodromos' (ὀρθόδρομος) and entered modern European languages (via New Latin/French formations) before being used in English as 'orthodromic' and its adverbial form 'orthodromically'.
Initially it meant 'straight-running' or 'correct course'; over time it came to be used specifically for 'following a great-circle (shortest) route on a sphere' and, by extension in physiology, for conduction in the normal (anterograde) direction.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adverb 1
in a manner that follows an orthodrome (a great-circle route); by the shortest path on the surface of a sphere.
The navigator plotted the course so the vessel would travel orthodromically across the ocean to save fuel.
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Adverb 2
in electrophysiology or neurology: in the normal (anterograde) direction of conduction, as opposed to antidromically.
The impulse propagated orthodromically along the nerve fiber, producing the expected motor response.
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Last updated: 2025/10/25 20:15