Dorsal is an anatomical term of location that refers to the back or top of the body. In most instances, the term dorsal will refer to a person's back or posterior anatomical plane. However, when referring the the skull, the term dorsal refers to the top.

Is dorsal a top or bottom?

The dorsal (from Latin dorsum 'back') surface of an organism refers to the back, or upper side, of an organism. If talking about the skull, the dorsal side is the top. The ventral (from Latin venter 'belly') surface refers to the front, or lower side, of an organism.

What does dorsal mean?

1a : being or located near, on, or toward the upper surface of an animal (as a quadruped) opposite the lower or ventral surface. b : being or located near, on, or toward the back or posterior part of the human body. 2 chiefly British : thoracic. Other Words from dorsal. dorsally \ -​sə-​lē \ adverb.