Distal
/ˈdɪs.təl/noun
Situated farther from the center of the body or from the point of attachment.
Did you know?“Distal” entered anatomy through the same Latin root behind “distant,” so the word literally carries the idea of being set apart by distance.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
distālis
“pertaining to distance or remoteness”
Latin
Latin
distare
“to stand apart, be distant”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sta-
“to stand”
19th Century
English
distal
“anatomical term for the part farthest from the point of origin or attachment”
Modern English
English
distal
“farther from the center of the body or from the point of attachment”