Standard Lemma guide

dorsum

noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈdɔː.səm/
  • General-American: /ˈdɔɹ.səm/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The back or dorsal region on the surface of an animal.

The back of the tongue, used for articulating dorsal consonants.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: anatomy, medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: back

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The back or dorsal region on the surface of an animal.

The top of the foot or the back of the hand.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: anatomy, medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: back

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A ridge on a hill, or on the surface of a planet or moon.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: geography, geology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Theta Capricorni, a star on the back of the Goat.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: astronomy, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

the back of the body of a vertebrate or any analogous surface (as the upper or outer surface of an organ or appendage or part)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the dorsum of the foot

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: body part

6

noun

Meaning 6

the posterior part of a human (or animal) body from the neck to the end of the spine

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • his back was nicely tanned

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: back

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: body part

History

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin dorsum (“the back”).

Across languages

Translations

10 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 背部 (bèibù) — back of an animal
  • German: Dorsum — back of an animal
  • German: Rücken — back of an animal
  • Chinese Mandarin: 舌背 (shébèi) — back of the tongue
  • German: Dorsum linguae — back of the tongue
  • German: Dorsum — back of the tongue
  • German: Zungenrücken — back of the tongue
  • Chinese Mandarin: 腳背 /脚背 (jiǎobèi) — top of the foot or back of the hand
  • Chinese Mandarin: 手背 (shǒubèi) — top of the foot or back of the hand
  • German: Dorsum — ridge on a hill