/ ˈlætərəl; NAmE / adjective , noun
■ adjective
[ usually before noun ] ( technical ) connected with the side of sth or with movement to the side :
the lateral branches of a tree
lateral eye movements
► lat·eral·ly / ˈlætərəli; NAmE / adverb
■ noun
(also ˌlateral ˈconsonant ) ( phonetics ) a consonant sound which is produced by placing a part of the tongue against the palate so that air flows around it on both sides, for example /l/ in lie
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Latin lateralis , from latus , later- side.