1. Plural of dorsal; fins or fin-like structures on the back of a fish or marine animal.
Usage: zoology; ichthyology
2. In phonetics, consonant sounds produced with the back of the tongue raised toward the soft palate.
Usage: linguistics; phonetics

1. Relating to or located on the back or upper surface of an organism or structure.
Usage: anatomy; biology

Examples

• The shark's dorsals help it maintain balance while swimming.
• Fish use their dorsals to stabilize their movement through water.
• The linguist classified the consonants as dorsals based on tongue position.
• Dorsals and ventral fins work together to control the fish's direction.
• Many species of fish have prominent dorsals along their backs.