lateral
UK: ˈlætərəl | US: ˈlætərəl
adj. relating to the side or sides of something
adj. (anatomy) situated away from the midline of the body
n. (linguistics) a consonant sound produced by airflow along the sides of the tongue (e.g., /l/)
later<side> + al<adjective suffix>
- later: From Latin latus (genitive lateris), meaning "side" or "flank."
- al: A suffix derived from Latin -alis, used to form adjectives meaning "pertaining to."
Etymology Origin:
The word lateral traces back to Latin lateralis, which combines latus (side) with the adjectival suffix -alis. It entered English in the late 14th century via Old French latéral, retaining its core meaning of "relating to the side." The anatomical and linguistic uses emerged later, reflecting specialized applications of the original spatial concept.
The car sustained lateral damage in the collision.
The lateral movement of the dancer impressed the audience.
In human anatomy, the lateral muscles support sideways motion.
The phoneme /l/ is classified as a lateral consonant.
The engineer designed a lateral support system for the bridge.