orthodromous
|or-tho-dro-mous|
🇺🇸
/ɔrθəˈdroʊməs/
🇬🇧
/ɔːθəˈdrəʊməs/
following a straight/correct course
Etymology
'orthodromous' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'orthodromos', where the prefix 'ortho-' meant 'straight' or 'correct' and 'dromos' meant 'running' or 'course'.
'orthodromous' comes via Neo-Latin/modern scientific usage from Greek 'orthodromos' (ὀρθόδρομος); related English forms include 'orthodrome' (a great-circle route) and the adjective formed as 'orthodromous' in specialized contexts.
Initially it carried the sense 'running straight' or 'on a correct course' in Greek; over time it specialized to mean 'following a great-circle (shortest) route' in navigation and 'moving in the normal direction' in physiology.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
following or lying along an orthodrome (a great-circle route) — used in navigation and geography to denote the shortest path on a sphere.
The ship steered an orthodromous course to minimize travel time across the ocean.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Adjective 2
proceeding in the normal or natural direction (often used in physiology to describe nerve impulses conducted in the usual direction).
The recorded spike showed orthodromous conduction along the axon.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/25 20:23