dorsal vs rearward

dorsal

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

  • 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. 

  • 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. 

rearward

adj
  • Toward the back or rear of something. 

noun
  • The last troop; the rear of an army; a rear guard. 

  • The part that comes last or is situated in the rear; conclusion, wind-up. 

adv
  • Toward the back or rear of something. 

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