Ventral
/ˈvɛn.trəl/noun
Relating to the belly side of the body; in animals, the underside.
Did you know?Ventral comes from Latin *venter* meaning “belly,” the same root behind words like *ventriloquist*, originally someone who seemed to speak from the belly.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*udero-
“belly, womb”
Latin
Latin
venter
“belly, stomach”
Late Latin
Latin
ventralis
“of the belly”
Middle French
French
ventral
“of the belly; on the underside”
Late 17th Century
English
ventral
“pertaining to the belly or underside of an animal”
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