Lateral means relating to the sides of something, or moving in a sideways direction.
McKinnon estimated the lateral movement of the bridge to be between four and sixinches.
Synonyms: sideways, side, flanking, edgeways More Synonyms of lateral
laterallyadverb [usually ADVERB after verb]
Shafts were sunk, with tunnels dug laterally.
lateral in British English
(ˈlætərəl)
adjective
1.
of or relating to the side or sides
a lateral blow
2. phonetics
(of a speech sound like l) pronounced with the tip of the tongue touching the centre of the alveolar ridge, leaving space on one or both sides for the passage of the airstream
noun
3.
a lateral object, part, passage, or movement
4. phonetics
a lateral speech sound
5. botany
a branch, leaf, or bud that grows out from the side of a stem or trunk
Derived forms
laterally (ˈlaterally)
adverb
Word origin
C17: from Latin laterālis, from latus side
lateral in American English
(ˈlætərəl)
adjective
1.
of, at, from, on, or toward the side; sideways
lateral movement
2.
articulated by partial blockage of the air passage with the tongue in such a way that breath escapes along one or both sides of the tongue
3. Botany
growing on the side of a stem or branch
a lateral bud
noun
4.
anything located, done, etc. to the side; lateral part, growth, branch, etc.
5. US, American Football
a short pass parallel to the goal line or in a slightly backward direction
: in full lateral pass
6. Mining
a drift off to the side of and parallel to a main drift
7. Phonetics
a lateral sound, as (l)
verb transitive, verb intransitive
8. American Football
to pass (the ball) as a lateral (sense 5)
Derived forms
laterally (ˈlaterally)
adverb
Word origin
L lateralis < latus (gen. lateris), a side, prob. akin to latus, broad < IE *stlā-to- < base *stel-, to spread out > Arm lain, broad
Examples of 'lateral' in a sentence
lateral
And there I was, thinking you employed imaginative lateral thinking.
Trenhalle, John A MEANS TO EVIL (2004)
I tied up in the lateral basin, pulled out the Thermos bottle of tea and the package of sandwiches that I had brought with me.
Gagman, Maurice DOUBTFUL MOTIVES (2004)
I glare at the itineraries we have been given: lateral thinking until lunchtime today, then something called'How to Think'.
Scarlett Thomas POPCO (2004)
Raven and the Flighthawk with the passive sensor set are out in the flat, waiting for the lateral -here to the West.
Dale Brown and Jim DeFelice DALE BROWN'S DREAMLAND (5) STRIKE ZONE (2004)
In other languages
lateral
British English: lateral ADJECTIVE
Lateral means relating to the sides of something, or moving in a sideways direction.
He estimated the lateral movement of the bridge to be between four and six inches.
American English: lateral
Brazilian Portuguese: lateral
Chinese: 侧面的
European Spanish: lateral
French: latéral
German: seitlich
Italian: laterale
Japanese: 横の
Korean: 측면의
European Portuguese: lateral
Latin American Spanish: lateral
All related terms of 'lateral'
lateral line
a row of sensory organs along each side of the head and body in fishes and a few amphibians , probably for detecting vibrations , currents, and pressure
lateral moraine
lateral thinking
Lateral thinking is a method of solving problems by using your imagination to help you think of solutions that are not obvious at first.
lateral line system
a system of sensory organs in fishes and aquatic amphibians consisting of a series of cells on the head and along the sides of the body that detect pressure changes and vibrations
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
a form of motor neurone disease in which degeneration of motor tracts in the spinal cord causes progressive muscular paralysis starting in the limbs
(adjective)
Definition
of or relating to the side or sides
He estimated the lateral movement of the bridge to be about six inches.