laterally
/ˈlætərəli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈlætərəli/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlatərəlē, ˈlatərə-, ˈla‧trə-, -li/ (ame, mw)
laterally — adverb
1. in a direction towards or from the side, as opposed to forwards, backwards, or v
in a direction towards or from the side, as opposed to forwards, backwards, or vertically
The car skidded laterally across the icy road before hitting the barrier.
collocation: skid + laterally (uncontrolled sideways movement)
Elena stretched her arms laterally to loosen her shoulders before the weightlifting session.
Cracks spread laterally from the main beam, weakening the entire ceiling structure.
The trainer set up cones so that Rosa could practise moving laterally during the drill.
Rather than growing taller, the bush spread laterally and covered most of the garden path.
- vertically
in an up-down direction rather than side-to-side
- longitudinally
along the length rather than to the side
文法句型
move + laterally
spread + laterally
extend + laterally
用法筆記
Commonly paired with verbs of movement (move, shift, slide), growth (spread, expand, extend), or positioning (place, position). In everyday speech, 'sideways' is more frequent; 'laterally' sounds more formal or technical.
常見錯誤
2. in a direction away from the centre line of the body, or positioned towards the
in a direction away from the centre line of the body, or positioned towards the outer side of a body part
The doctor asked Deepa to raise her leg laterally away from her body to test her hip mobility.
collocation: raise + laterally (anatomical movement)
An X-ray revealed that the patient's kneecap had shifted laterally after the fall on the ice.
The physical therapist instructed Zahra to move her arm laterally in a slow, controlled arc.
In the anatomy textbook, a diagram showed how the ribs curve laterally from the spine to protect the lungs.
- medially
towards the midline of the body
文法句型
move + laterally
raise + laterally
extend + laterally
用法筆記
Primarily used in medical, anatomical, and physiotherapy contexts. The reference point is always the body's midline (the sagittal plane). Distinguish from sense 1, where 'laterally' means sideways in general — sense 2 has a specific anatomical reference frame.
常見錯誤
3. in the production of certain speech sounds, when the airstream is blocked at the
in the production of certain speech sounds, when the airstream is blocked at the centre of the mouth and escapes around one or both sides of the tongue
The linguistics professor explained that the English "l" sound is produced laterally by all native speakers.
collocation: produced + laterally (phonetics)
When Xin pronounced the word "glow," the air flowed laterally around both sides of her tongue.
air + flow + laterally + sides of tongue
In the phonetics lab, students recorded how lateral consonants are articulated differently from central stops.
Boris found it difficult to release the air laterally when trying to pronounce the Welsh double "ll" sound.
- centrally
with the airstream flowing over the centre of the tongue, as in most speech sounds
文法句型
produced + laterally
articulated + laterally
用法筆記
A technical term used almost exclusively in phonetics and linguistics. Not encountered in everyday conversation. The most common English sound produced laterally is the consonant /l/.