dorsal vs ventral

dorsal

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

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

  • Having only one sharp side. 

  • 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. 

ventral

noun
  • Any of the enlarged and transversely elongated scales that extend down the underside of a snake's body from the neck to the anal scale. 

adj
  • On the front side of the human body, or the corresponding surface of an animal, usually the lower surface. 

  • Related to the abdomen or stomach. 

  • On or relating to the bottom portion of either foot and/or hand. 

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