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superolateral

superolateral

1 9.2
Above and to the side of a point on the body
  • adjective
  • /ˌsuːpərəˈlætərəl/
  • Specialized
: superolateral
  • The physician pointed to the superolateral aspect of the shoulder during the examination.

Examples

  • The optic nerve was seen in the superolateral area.

    Academic text (2005)
  • Next, we located by digital palpation the protuberance of the styloid process at the superolateral corner of the tonsillar fossa.

    Academic text (2006)
  • The surgeon made an incision in the superolateral region of the abdomen to access the organs.

  • In anatomical terms, the heart is located in a superolateral position relative to the diaphragm.

Synonyms

supralateral
vssuperolateral
  • Specialized
9.9

Above and to the side of a point or part of the body

is the form used especially in anatomical contexts

Surface Forms

superolateral positive

Morphology

superolateral = lateral (transparent) = supero + lateral

Formed by the combining prefix 'supero-' meaning 'above' added to 'lateral', yielding the expected anatomical sense 'above and to the side'.

Etymology

The word superolateral comes from the parts super- meaning 'above' and lateral meaning 'side'. So it simply describes something that is 'above and to the side' of a point, which is why doctors use it to name places on the body.