ventral
/ˈvɛntr(ə)l
/adjective Anatomy, Zoology, & Botany
On or relating to the underside of an animal or plant; abdominal: a ventral nerve cord the ventral part of the head...Compare with dorsal.
- The nervous system consists of a lobed dorsal brain and ventral nerve cord with fused paired ganglia.
- If either of these proteins is absent, then the motor axons select dorsal and ventral pathways randomly.
- The dorsal and ventral edges of the centra are more nearly equal in width in the larger specimens.
Derivatives
ventrally
- In insects, as in all arthropods, the main nerve cord lies ventrally, rather than dorsally as in vertebrates.
- In multiple-male matings, males amplex females dorsally, ventrally, and dorsolaterally.
- Adult plumage is blue-black or gray dorsally and white ventrally, sometimes with distinctive coloring or plumes on the head.
Origin
Late Middle English: from Latin venter, ventr- 'belly' + -al.
Rhymes
- horseless carriage
- horse-like
- horse mackerel
- horseman
- horsemanship
- horsemeat
- horsemint
- horse mushroom
- horse mussel
- Horsens
- horse opera
- horse pistol
- horseplay
- horseplayer
- horsepower
- horse race
- horse racing
- horseradish
- horseradish sauce
- horse rider
- horse riding
- horse sense
- horses for courses
- horseshit
- horseshoe