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dor·si·ven·tral

(dôr′sĭ-vĕntrəl) or dor·so·ven·tral (-sō-)

adj.

1. Botany Flattened and having distinct upper and lower surfaces, as most leaves do.

2. Biology Extending from a dorsal to a ventral surface: dorsiventral muscles.

dor′si·ventral·ly adv.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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