Lateralises

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Assigns a specific mental or physical function to one hemisphere or side of the body ; moves or shifts something toward a side rather than forward or back
2. Confines a brain process or bodily function to one half of the organism ; alters the direction of something so that it runs toward the flank
3. Pinpoints a faculty as residing on one side of the nervous system ; shapes or turns a movement so that it proceeds sideways rather than straight on

Etymology: "Lateralises" is the third-person singular form of "lateralise", a verb meaning to make something lateral, or to assign a function or activity to one side of the body or brain. The verb is built from "lateral", which comes from Latin "lateralis", formed from "latus" meaning "side", and the suffix "-ise", which turns a noun or adjective into a verb meaning to make or become something. So the word simply says "to make side-like," with the "-ise" ending being the same one found in words such as "modernise" and "organise." The verb matters most in neuroscience and psychology, where researchers talk about how the left and right hemispheres of the brain handle different tasks. When a study shows that a particular function is lateralised, it means that function is processed mainly on one side. The -ise spelling is the British and Commonwealth form; American writers normally use "lateralizes."

Synonyms: lateralizes