Dorsiflex

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To flex a joint, especially the ankle, so that the foot or toes are pulled upward toward the shin
2. Bending the ankle or wrist backward so the top of the foot or back of the hand moves toward the front of the leg or arm
3. Raising the foot or toes upward by bending at the ankle, the opposite of plantarflexing a joint

Etymology: "Dorsiflex" is a technical coinage, built from the combining form "dorsi-", from Latin "dorsum" meaning "back", and "flex", from Latin "flectere", "to bend". Taken together, the word describes bending a body part backward toward its upper surface, most often the foot lifting its toes and front toward the shin. The first element, "dorsi-", is the form of "dorsum" used in scientific compounds, so the word's meaning comes straight from its parts rather than from any older English usage. "Dorsum" also gives English "dorsal", the term for the back or upper side of an organ, and "dorsal" and "dorsiflex" share the same starting point. The "flex" half is an ordinary English verb already in use, so the new word needed only two familiar pieces joined together.