ventral

C1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈvɛntrəl/ UK /ˈvɛntrəl/ See IPA manual

Freq #65323

Meanings

1

adj
situated on or directed toward the belly or lower surface of an animal, or the front surface of an upright human body

The dragonet's ventral fins were darker than its dorsal fin.
2

adj
situated on the lower surface of a plant organ or another structure with distinct upper and lower sides

The fern's spores formed along the ventral surface of each frond.
3

noun
a ventral part, structure, scale, or fin

The specimen's paired ventrals lay just behind the pectoral fins.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · situated on or directed... belly-sideabdominal

2 adj · situated on the lower... lower-surface

3 noun · a ventral part, structure,... ventral part

Opposites

dorsal

Word family

Derived forms ventrallydorsoventral

Related forms venterabdomen dorsal anterior posterior

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

ventral aspect
the view or surface of the side of a body that faces the belly

Adjective + noun

Etymology

Borrowed through French ventral from Late Latin ventralis, from Latin venter ("belly, abdomen") + -alis. In comparative anatomy, the ventral side is opposite the dorsal or back side.

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# ventral

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈvɛntrəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈvɛntrəl/
**Frequency rank:** 65323

## Meanings
1. situated on or directed toward the belly or lower surface of an animal, or the front surface of an upright human body
2. situated on the lower surface of a plant organ or another structure with distinct upper and lower sides
3. a ventral part, structure, scale, or fin

## Examples
- The dragonet's ventral fins were darker than its dorsal fin.
- The fern's spores formed along the ventral surface of each frond.
- The specimen's paired ventrals lay just behind the pectoral fins.

## Synonyms
- belly-side
- abdominal
- lower-surface
- ventral part

## Antonyms
- dorsal

## Derived Forms
- ventrally
- dorsoventral

## Related Forms
- venter
- abdomen
- dorsal
- anterior
- posterior

## Etymology
Borrowed through French ventral from Late Latin ventralis, from Latin venter ("belly, abdomen") + -alis. In comparative anatomy, the ventral side is opposite the dorsal or back side.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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