Sagittally

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a way that pertains to a division of the body into left and right sections, often used in anatomical contexts, or indicating motion along a plane that divides such sections
2. Relating to the anatomical plane that separates the body into equal left and right parts, typically in discussions of orientation, or describing actions that occur along this plane
3. In a manner that refers to the anatomical orientation dividing the body into left and right halves, often applied in medical contexts, or describing movement along such a dividing line

Etymology: "Sagittally" is simply "sagittal" with the adverbial suffix "-ly" attached. The base word traces back to Latin "sagitta," meaning "arrow," which gave English the adjective "sagittal" for anything shaped like or running along an arrow's path. In anatomy, a sagittal plane divides the body into left and right portions, so acting or moving sagittally means doing so along that left-right dividing line. The meaning rests on a picture of an arrow shot straight from front to back through the body, with the cut running lengthwise, parallel to that flight line. The adverb therefore describes an action carried out in the direction of that vertical slice, though the word's meaning itself is clear once the anatomical sense of "sagittal" is understood.

Synonyms: laterally