ventral

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: ven=tral

CIDE DICTIONARY

ventral, a. [L. ventralis, fr. venter the belly; perhaps akin to G. wanst: cf. F. ventral.].

•  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]
•  Of or pertaining to that surface of a carpel, petal, etc., which faces toward the center of a flower.  [1913 Webster]

Ventral fins (Zoöl.), 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.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

ventral, adj.
1 Anat. & Zool. of or on the abdomen (cf. DORSAL).
2 Bot. of the front or lower surface.

Idiom

ventral fin either of the ventrally placed fins on a fish.

Derivative

ventrally adv.

Etymology

obs. venter abdomen f. L venter ventr-