D defs.my
Entry 3 senses · 2 variants Webster, 1913

Dorsal

/dôr'-səl/ · Dor·sal · IPA /ˈdɔɹ.səl/
01 a. 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 f…
  1. 1.
    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.(Anat.)
  2. 2.
    Pertaining to the surface naturally inferior, as of a leaf.(Bot.)
Phrases & compounds
Dorsal vessel — a central pulsating blood vessel along the back of insects, acting as a heart.
02 n. A hanging, usually of rich stuff, at the back of a throne, or of an altar, or in any similar position.
  1. 1.
    A hanging, usually of rich stuff, at the back of a throne, or of an altar, or in any similar position.(Fine Arts)