lateral
lateral Lexical Profile
lateral Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Of, at, toward, or from the side or sides; situated away from the midline of a body or structure.
"The physical therapist recommended exercises to strengthen the lateral muscles of the knee."
Relating to a transfer or movement between positions of equivalent rank, salary, or status within an organization.
"She accepted a lateral move to the marketing department to broaden her management experience."
Produced by obstructing the center of the vocal tract with the tongue so that air flows out along one or both sides (in phonetics).
"In English, the 'l' sound in 'leaf' is a classic example of a lateral consonant."
• noun
North American A pass thrown either sideways or backward relative to the offensive team's direction of play in American or Canadian football.
"In the final seconds of the game, the quarterback pitched a lateral to the running back."
A side part or projection arising from a main body or axis, such as a secondary branch, root, shoot, or irrigation pipe.
"The orchardist pruned the overgrown laterals to allow more sunlight to reach the main trunk."
A speech sound articulated by allowing the breath to escape around one or both sides of the tongue while the middle of the vocal tract is blocked.
"Linguists classify the initial sound in the word 'light' as an alveolar lateral."
• verb
North American To throw or pass a football sideways or backward to a teammate (in American or Canadian football).
"Just before being tackled, the receiver lateraled the ball to a trailing teammate."
• Rhymes for lateral
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the 15th century from Middle French latéral or directly from Latin lateralis ('belonging to the side'), derived from latus ('the side or flank of a person or animal').