Downward or downward direction; a Latin term used in anatomy and medicine to indicate motion toward the bottom.
From Latin de- (down, from) + orsum (a direction term related to 'versus'). This is a purely Latin term preserved in scientific and medical terminology where Latin prefixes are still commonly used.
Medical professionals still use Latin directional terms like 'deorsum' because they're more precise than English—'downward' could mean different things in different contexts, but 'deorsum' always means exactly the same thing across all hospitals and languages.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.