Anatomy Vocab Cheat Sheet

Anterior

front

Posterior

back

superior

towards the head (higher)

inferior

toward the feet (lower)

medial

towards the midline

lateral

away from the middle

proximal

closer to the trunk/origin

distal

farther from the trunk/origin

superficial

closer to the skin (surface)

deep

farther from the skin (inside)

Ipsilateral

same side of the body

Contralateral

opposite side of the body

unilateral

one side only

bilateral

both sides

capitis

head

cervical

neck

maximus

largest

medius

middle-sized

minimus

smallest

major

larger

minor

smaller

longus

long

brevis

short

mangus

large

longissimus

longest

latissimus

widest

rectus

straight

oblique/obliquus

diagonal

transverse/transversus

horizontal/across

orbicularis

circular

quadratus

square shaped

deltoid

triangle shaped

serratus

saw tooth

foramen

hole/opening through a bone

canal

long passageway

meatus

canal-like opening

fissure

narrow slit/opening

process

general bondy projection

tubercle

small rounded projection

tuberosity

larger rough projection

crest

prominent ridge

line/linea

smaller ridge

spine

sharp/slender projection

epicondyle

projection about a condyle

protuberance

prominent bump

malleolus

rounded ankle projection

horn/cornu

horn-shaped projection

head

rounded enlarged end

neck

narrow area connecting head to shaft

condyle

rounded articular surface

ramus

branch like extension

trochlea

pulley shaped articular surface

fossa

depression/basin

fovea

small pit

sulcus

groove

sulcus

groove

notch

indentation in the edge of the bone

supra

above

infra

below

sub

under/below

inter

between

intra

within

extra

outside

peri

around

para

beside

pre

before/in front of

post

behind/after

retro

behind

epi

on/upon/above

endo

inside

ecto

outside

trans

across

contra

opposite

ipsi

same