Definition: dorsal

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Source: WordNet (r) 1.7 

dorsal
     adj 1: belonging to or on or near the back or upper surface of an
            animal or organ or part; "the dorsal fin is the
            vertical fin on the back of a fish and certain marine
            mammals" [ant: ventral]
     2: (biology) facing away from the axis of an organ or organism;
        "the abaxial surface of a leaf is the underside or side
        facing away from the stem" [syn: abaxial] [ant: adaxial]

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) 

Neural \Neu"ral\, a. [Gr. ? nerve.] (Anat. & Zo["o]l.)
   relating to the nerves or nervous system; taining to,
   situated in the region of, or on the side with, the neural,
   or cerebro-spinal, axis; -- opposed to hemal. As applied to
   vertebrates, neural is the same as dorsal; as applied to
   invertebrates it is usually the same as ventral. Cf. Hemal.

   Neural arch (Anat.), the cartilaginous or bony arch on the
      dorsal side of the centrum of the vertebra in a segment of
      the spinal skeleton, usually inclosing a segment of the
      spinal cord.
Posterior \Pos*te"ri*or\ (p[o^]s*t[=e]"r[i^]*[~e]r), a. [L.
   posterior, compar. of posterus coming after, from post after.
   See Post-.]
   1. Later in time; hence, later in the order of proceeding or
      moving; coming after; -- opposed to prior.

            Hesiod was posterior to Homer.        --Broome.

   2. Situated behind; hinder; -- opposed to anterior.

   3. (Anat.) At or toward the caudal extremity; caudal; -- in
      human anatomy often used for dorsal.

   4. (Bot.) On the side next the axis of inflorescence; -- said
      of an axillary flower. --Gray.
Dorsal \Dor"sal\, a. [F. dorsal, LL. dorsalis, fr. L. dorsualis,
   fr. dorsum back; cf. Gr. ?, ?, mountain ridge. Cf. Dorse,
   Dorsel, Dosel.]
   1. (Anat.) Pertaining to, or situated near, the back, or
      dorsum, of an animal or of one of its parts; notal;
      tergal; neural; as, the dorsal fin of a fish; the dorsal
      artery of the tongue; -- opposed to ventral.

   2. (Bot.)
      (a) Pertaining to the surface naturally inferior, as of a
          leaf.
      (b) Pertaining to the surface naturally superior, as of a
          creeping hepatic moss.

   Dorsal vessel (Zo["o]l.), a central pulsating blood vessel
      along the back of insects, acting as a heart.
Dorsal \Dor"sal\, n. [LL. dorsale, neut. fr. dorsalis. See
   Dorsal, a.] (Fine Arts)
   A hanging, usually of rich stuff, at the back of a throne, or
   of an altar, or in any similar position.