Standard Lemma guide

lordosis

noun · 4 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

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  • rhymes with -əʊsɪs

1

noun

Meaning 1

The normal concave, backwards curvature of the spine in the cervical and lumbar regions.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: anatomy, medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: kyphosis

2

noun

Meaning 2

An abnormal excessive concave, backwards curvature of the spine, causing in normal human physiology a hollow in the back (lumbar lordosis, hollow back, saddle back) or the neck (cervical lordosis).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: anatomy, medicine, pathology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: kyphosis

3

noun

Meaning 3

A body posture of some female mammals, indicating receptivity to copulation. It involves lowering of the forelimbs but with the rear limbs extended and hips raised, ventral arching of the spine and a raising, or sideward displacement, of the tail.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: biology, natural-sciences, zoology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

an abnormal inward (forward) curvature of the vertebral column

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hollow-back

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: spinal curvature

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Ancient Greek λορδός (lordós) Proto-Indo-European *-tis Ancient Greek -τις (-tis) Ancient Greek -σῐς (-sĭs) Ancient Greek -ωσις (-ōsis)bor. New Latin -ōsislbor. English -osis English lordosis From Ancient Greek λορδός (lordós, “bent backward”) + English -osis.

Across languages

Translations

28 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: قَعَس (qaʕas) — anatomy: excessive backwards curvature of the spine
  • Bulgarian: лордо́за (lordóza) — anatomy: excessive backwards curvature of the spine
  • Czech: hyperlordóza — anatomy: excessive backwards curvature of the spine
  • Finnish: lordoosi — anatomy: excessive backwards curvature of the spine
  • French: lordose — anatomy: excessive backwards curvature of the spine
  • German: Lordose — anatomy: excessive backwards curvature of the spine
  • Greek: λόρδωση (lórdosi) — anatomy: excessive backwards curvature of the spine
  • Norwegian: svaie ryggen — anatomy: excessive backwards curvature of the spine
  • Polish: lordoza — anatomy: excessive backwards curvature of the spine
  • Portuguese: lordose — anatomy: excessive backwards curvature of the spine
  • Russian: лордо́з (lordóz) — anatomy: excessive backwards curvature of the spine
  • Spanish: lordosis — anatomy: excessive backwards curvature of the spine
  • Swedish: svankrygg — anatomy: excessive backwards curvature of the spine
  • Swedish: lordos — anatomy: excessive backwards curvature of the spine
  • Arabic: قَعَس (qaʕas) — anatomy, pathology: excessive backwards curvature of the spine
  • Bulgarian: лордо́за (lordóza) — anatomy, pathology: excessive backwards curvature of the spine
  • Czech: hyperlordóza — anatomy, pathology: excessive backwards curvature of the spine
  • Finnish: lordoosi — anatomy, pathology: excessive backwards curvature of the spine
  • French: lordose — anatomy, pathology: excessive backwards curvature of the spine
  • German: Lordose — anatomy, pathology: excessive backwards curvature of the spine
  • Greek: λόρδωση (lórdosi) — anatomy, pathology: excessive backwards curvature of the spine
  • Norwegian: svaie ryggen — anatomy, pathology: excessive backwards curvature of the spine
  • Polish: lordoza — anatomy, pathology: excessive backwards curvature of the spine
  • Portuguese: lordose — anatomy, pathology: excessive backwards curvature of the spine
  • Russian: лордо́з (lordóz) — anatomy, pathology: excessive backwards curvature of the spine
  • Spanish: lordosis — anatomy, pathology: excessive backwards curvature of the spine
  • Swedish: svankrygg — anatomy, pathology: excessive backwards curvature of the spine
  • Swedish: lordos — anatomy, pathology: excessive backwards curvature of the spine