postmedial
|post-me-di-al|
🇺🇸
/poʊstˈmiːdiəl/
🇬🇧
/pəʊstˈmiːdiəl/
after the middle
Etymology
'postmedial' originates from Latin elements: the prefix 'post-' (from Latin 'post') meaning 'after, behind' and 'medial' from Latin 'medialis' (from 'medius') meaning 'middle'.
'postmedial' was formed via Neo-Latin/technical coinage (compare Neo-Latin 'postmedialis') and entered English as a compound adjective used in anatomical and biological descriptions in the 19th–20th century.
Initially it denoted 'after the middle' in a purely positional sense; it has remained largely consistent and is now used especially in technical fields (anatomy, entomology) to describe location relative to the midline.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
situated posterior to the middle or midline; located beyond the middle (in position).
The incision was made in a postmedial position relative to the midline.
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Adjective 2
in entomology and lepidopterology, referring to the area or line on an insect's wing located just beyond the median (the postmedial line or band).
The moth's forewing shows a dark postmedial band that helps identify the species.
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Last updated: 2025/10/03 19:28