Definition of LATERAL

lateral

Plural: laterals

Noun

  • a pass to a receiver upfield from the passer
  • An object, such as a passage or a protrusion, that is situated on the side of something else.
  • A sound produced through lateral pronunciation (such as /l/ in lateral).
  • A lateral pass.
  • An employee hired for a position at the same organizational level or salary as their previous position.
  • A lateral canal, a canal built alongside an existing stream.

Adjective Satellite

  • situated at or extending to the side; ; - Tennyson
    • "the lateral branches of a tree"
  • lying away from the median and sagittal plane of a body
    • "lateral lemniscus"

Adj

  • To the side; of or pertaining to the side.
  • Situated on one side or other of the body or of an organ, especially in the region furthest from the median plane.
  • To the side; of or pertaining to the side.
  • Affecting the side or sides of the body, or confined to one side of the body.
  • To the side; of or pertaining to the side.
  • Acting or placed at right angles to a line of motion or strain.
  • To the side; of or pertaining to the side.
  • At the same level in hierarchy or rank, especially pertaining to a movement that does not involve a change in rank, status, or level.
  • Non-linear or unconventional, as in, lateral thinking.
  • (of a consonant, especially the English clear l) Pertaining to speech sounds generated by partially blocking the egress of the airstream with the tongue, leaving space on one or both sides of the occlusion for air passage.

Verb

Verb Forms: lateraled, lateraling, laterals

  • To throw a pass sideways or backward in sports like football.
  • To move (oneself or something) in a lateral direction.
  • To execute a lateral pass.

Examples

  • A fish senses changes in hydrodynamic pressure with its lateral line.
  • a lateral transfer
  • Instead of a promotion, I opted for a lateral move to a similar position in the marketing department.
  • lateral hiring
  • She tried to LATERAL a few letters into a new word, but the board blocked her path in Words With Friends.
  • The medial side of the knee faces the other knee, while the outer side of the knee is lateral.

Origin / Etymology

Borrowed from Latin laterālis (“belonging to the side”), from latus (“the side or flank”) + -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix).

Synonyms

lateral pass, sidelong

Scrabble Score: 7

lateral: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
lateral: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
lateral: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 9

lateral: valid Words With Friends Word