dorsum

English

Etymology

From Latin dorsum.

Noun

dorsum (plural dorsa)

1. The back of the tongue, used for articulating dorsal consonants.
2. The top of the foot or the back of the hand.
3. (anatomy) The back or dorsal region on the surface of an animal.
4. (astrogeology) A ridge on a hill, or on the surface of a planet or moon.
5. (astronomy) Theta Capricorni, a star on the back of the Goat

Synonyms

• (back of an animal): back

Related terms

• dorsal / dorsumal

Translations

astrogeology

• German: Dorsum (de) m

back of an animal

• German: Dorsum (de) m (in anatomy), Rücken (de) m

back of the tongue

• German: Dorsum linguae (anatomy), Dorsum (de) (linguistics), Zungenrücken

References

• dorsum in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• dorsum on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• dromus, dumsor

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Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *dorsom, with no known cognates in any other Indo-European languages. Has been linked to deorsum, but their contemporaneous use suggests that one was not a phonetic development of the other.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈdor.sum/, [ˈd̪ɔrs̠ʊ̃ˑ]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈdor.sum/, [ˈd̪ɔrsum]

Noun

dorsum n (genitive dorsī); second declension

1. (anatomy) back, part of the body between the neck and buttocks
2. (figuratively) ridge, summit

Declension

Second-declension noun (neuter).

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	dorsum	dorsa
Genitive	dorsī	dorsōrum
Dative	dorsō	dorsīs
Accusative	dorsum	dorsa
Ablative	dorsō	dorsīs
Vocative	dorsum	dorsa

Antonyms

• venter

Derived terms

• dorsālis
• dorsualia

Descendants

• → Catalan: dors
• Archaic Catalan: dos
• Dalmatian: duas
• French: dos
• Italian: dosso; → dorso
• Old Portuguese: dosso
  • Portuguese: dorso
• → dorso
• Romanian: dos
• Romansch: dies
• Spanish: Dueso; → dorso
• → Esperanto: dorso

References

• dorsum in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1879
• dorsum in Charlton T. Lewis, An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers, 1891
• dorsum in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
• dorsum in Gaffiot, Félix, Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette, 1934