Distal

How to spell distal

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce distal

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does distal mean?

1. adjectiveSituated away from the centre of the body or from the point where a limb or structure is attached; the opposite of proximal.

Distal in a sentence

• The surgeon repaired the fracture near the distal end of the femur.

• The fingertips are at the distal part of the hand.

Where does distal come from?

Language of origin: Latin

Distal is a fairly young anatomical coinage, dating to the early nineteenth century, when English-speaking anatomists needed a tidy partner for the older word proximal. They built it by taking the first part of distant and adding the adjective ending -al, deliberately echoing the shape of central and similar terms. The deeper root is the Latin verb distare, which literally meant to stand apart, formed from dis- (apart) and stare (to stand); the same source gives us distant and distance. In anatomy distal came to mean situated away from the centre of the body or from the point at which a limb attaches, the exact opposite of proximal, which marks the nearer end. Because it was assembled rather than inherited, the spelling is regular: the trap is simply hearing the unstressed final syllable as -le or -el rather than -al, so remembering its kinship with distant keeps the ending honest.

How the word is built

• dist- (from distant, ultimately Latin distare: to stand apart)
• -al (adjective suffix)