Ventral

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Ventral \Ven"tral\, a. [L. ventralis, fr. venter the belly;
     perhaps akin to G. wanst: cf. F. ventral.]
     1. (Anat.) Of, pertaining to, or situated near, the belly, or
        ventral side, of an animal or of one of its parts; hemal;
        abdominal; as, the ventral fin of a fish; the ventral root
        of a spinal nerve; -- opposed to {dorsal}.


        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Bot.)
        (a) Of or pertaining to that surface of a carpel, petal,
            etc., which faces toward the center of a flower.
        (b) Of or pertaining to the lower side or surface of a
            creeping moss or other low flowerless plant. Opposed
            to {dorsal}.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     {Ventral fins} (Zool.), the posterior pair of fins of a fish.
        They are often situated beneath the belly, but sometimes
        beneath the throat.
  
     {Ventral segment}. (Acoustics) See {Loop}, n., 5.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  ventral
       adj 1: toward or on or near the belly (front of a primate or lower
              surface of a lower animal); "the ventral aspect of the
              human body"; "the liver is somewhat ventral in
              position"; "ventral (or pelvic) fins correspond to the
              hind limbs of a quadruped" [ant: {dorsal}]
       2: nearest to or facing toward the axis of an organ or
          organism; "the upper side of a leaf is known as the
          adaxial surface" [syn: {adaxial}] [ant: {abaxial}]