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Lateral
01
(in American football) a pass thrown either sideways or backward to another player
Example
The quarterback executed a perfect lateral to the running back, gaining crucial yards.
The team 's trick play involved a lateral followed by a long forward pass to the end zone.
02
a side growth or extension, such as a branch or shoot, emerging from the main stem or structure of a plant
Example
The gardener pruned the laterals to encourage more growth along the main stem.
Tomato plants often produce laterals that should be trimmed to promote fruit development.
03
a speech sound produced by allowing the airflow to pass along the sides of the tongue
Example
The child struggled with pronouncing the lateral properly, substituting it with a different sound.
The " l " in " lamp " is an example of a lateral in English phonetics.
lateral
Example
We set up cameras to cover the front and lateral views of the stage area.
As the storm intensified, strong lateral winds pushed the trees sideways.
02
situated toward the outer sides of the body
Example
Therapy focused on stretches targeting the lateral muscles along the hips and lower back.
The lateral incision healed more slowly than the midline incision on his abdomen.
03
(of a speech sound) produced by allowing air to flow around the sides of the tongue
Example
The English \l\ sound, as in " leaf, " is a classic example of a lateral consonant.
Linguists classify lateral sounds based on how air flows around the tongue during articulation.
04
(of a movement, transfer, etc.) occurring at the same level within an organization or between two organizations, without a change in rank or hierarchy
Example
Susan made a lateral move to another department where the workload was lighter.
The company ’s lateral hires brought fresh ideas while maintaining industry expertise.
