What does sagittal mean?
Sagittal is chiefly an anatomical adjective describing the plane that runs from front to back through a body or organism. A sagittal image or section, such as an MRI viewed from the side, shows this orientation. The term is also associated with the sagittal suture, the fibrous joint running along the midline of the skull and joining the two parietal bones. In older and specialized usage, sagittal can be a noun meaning an arrowhead, reflecting the word's Latin roots. The adjective is broader than “midsagittal”: any front-to-back plane may be sagittal, whereas a midsagittal plane passes precisely through the body's central axis. Sagittal is therefore useful in anatomy, medicine, biology, and scientific imaging, though it is specialized rather than everyday vocabulary.
Of or relating to the sagittal plane, which runs from front to back through a body; also shaped like an arrowhead.
"The radiologist examined the brain in the sagittal plane."
In anatomical usage, sagittal is more general than midsagittal, which specifically describes the plane through the midline.
An arrowhead; also, in anatomical shorthand, the sagittal suture of the skull.
"The museum catalog identifies the iron point as a medieval sagittal."
The noun is rare today and is encountered mainly in historical, archaeological, or specialized anatomical contexts.
Used rarely for multiple arrowheads or, in specialist anatomical language, multiple structures referred to as sagittals.
"The collection includes three sagittals from medieval arrowheads."
Sagittal began with arrowheads: its Latin ancestor means “arrow,” long before the word became a standard label in anatomy.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of sagittal
Sagittal comes from Latin sagitta, meaning “arrow,” through the Latin adjective sagittalis, meaning “arrow-shaped” or “of an arrow.” English adopted the word in the early modern period, initially in references to arrowheads or things resembling them. Its anatomical uses developed later, especially for the skull's midline suture and for the body's anteroposterior plane.
Related word forms
How sagittal is actually used
The adjective is formal and chiefly used in anatomy, medicine, biology, and technical imaging. It is broader than “midsagittal”: a sagittal plane generally runs from front to back, while a midsagittal plane specifically runs through the body's midline. The noun is rare and occurs mainly in anatomical or historical specialist contexts.