postero-dorsal
|pos-te-ro-dor-sal|
🇺🇸
/ˌpɑstəroʊˈdɔrsəl/
🇬🇧
/ˌpɒstərəʊˈdɔːs(ə)l/
toward the back-upper side
Etymology
'postero-dorsal' originates from Latin-derived elements: the prefix 'postero-' (from Latin 'posterus') meaning 'coming after' or 'rear' and 'dorsal' (from Latin 'dorsum') meaning 'back'.
'dorsal' comes from Latin 'dorsum' ('back') and entered English via medieval/modern anatomical Latin; 'posterus' gave rise to English 'posterior' and the combining form 'postero-'. The compound 'postero-dorsal' is a modern anatomical formation combining these elements.
Initially the elements separately referred to 'rear' ('postero-') and 'back' ('dorsal'); combined as 'postero-dorsal' the term came to mean specifically 'toward the rear-upper (back) side' in anatomical usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
situated toward or relating to both the posterior (rear) and dorsal (back or upper) surfaces; located on the rear-upper side of an organism or structure.
The radiologist described a small postero-dorsal lesion on the vertebra.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/10 01:49