dorsal vs stern

dorsal

adj
  • Having only one sharp side. 

  • Relating to the surface naturally inferior, as of a leaf. 

  • Relating to the surface naturally superior, as of a creeping hepatic moss. 

  • Relating to the top surface of the foot or hand. 

  • Produced using the dorsum of the tongue. 

noun
  • A hanging, usually of rich stuff, at the back of a throne, altar, etc. 

  • A sound produced using the dorsum of the tongue. 

  • Any of the longitudinal series of plates that encircle the body, excluding the ventral scales. 

stern

adj
  • Grim and forbidding in appearance. 

  • Having a hardness and severity of nature or manner. 

noun
  • A bird, the black tern. 

  • The tail of an animal; now used only of the tail of a dog. 

  • The hinder part of anything. 

  • The post of management or direction. 

  • The rear part or after end of a ship or vessel. 

verb
  • To propel or move backward or stern-first in the water. 

How often have the words dorsal and stern occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )