lateral

Definitions

1. 1.(Anat.) Lying at, or extending toward, the side; away from the mesial plane; external; -- opposed to mesial.
2. 2.Directed to the side; as, a lateral view of a thing. Lateral cleavage (Crystallog.), cleavage parallel to the lateral planes. -- Lateral equation (Math.), an equation of the first degree. [Obs.] -- Lateral line (Anat.), in fishes, a line of sensory organs along either side of the body, often marked by a distinct line of color. -- Lateral pressure or stress (Mech.), a pressure or stress at right angles to the length, as of a beam or bridge; -- distinguished from longitudinal pressure or stress. -- Lateral strength (Mech.), strength which resists a tendency to fracture arising from lateral pressure. -- Lateral system (Bridge Building), the system of horizontal braces (as between two vertical trusses) by which lateral stiffness is secured.

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Synonyms

Related questions

• What does "lateral" mean?
• What is another word for "lateral"?

Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is lateral.

• What is lying at, or extending toward, the side; away from the mesial plane; external; -- opposed to mesial called?