abactinal Definition
pertaining to or situated on the surface or end opposite to that which contains the mouth in animals that have a radial symmetry, such as starfish and sea urchins.
Using abactinal: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "abactinal" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The abactinal surface of the starfish is covered with spines.
Example
The abactinal side of the sea urchin is its upper surface.
Origins of abactinal
from Latin 'ab-' meaning 'away from' + 'actus' meaning 'a driving' + '-al' meaning 'pertaining to'
Summary: abactinal in Brief
'Abactinal' [ab-ak-tuh-nl] is an adjective used to describe the surface or end opposite to that which contains the mouth in animals that have a radial symmetry, such as starfish and sea urchins. It is often used in scientific contexts to describe the anatomy of these animals, as in 'The abactinal surface of the starfish is covered with spines.'
