orthodromicadj.
/ˌɔːθə(ʊ)ˈdrɒmɪk/, U.S. /ˌɔrθoʊˈdrɑmɪk/ 1. Travelling along the arc of a great circle; (of a projection) representing great circles as straight lines. Contrasted with loxodromic.
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society > travel > travel by water > directing or managing a ship > [adjective] > types of navigation
loxodromic1702
loxodromical1704
orthodromic1775
astronautical1848
radio navigational1921
1775 J. Ash New Dict. Eng. Lang. Orthodromic, sailing on the arch of a great circle, sailing the most direct course.
1922 R. Keen Direction & Position Finding by Wireless iv. 103 A chart on which all Great Circles are represented as straight lines is known as orthodromic.
1984 SIAM Rev. 26 427 This Maurer Orthodromic Projection makes goniometry on the sphere look as simple as in the plane.
1999 Arctic (Nexis) 52 The differences between loxodromic and orthodromic flight routes for W migration are illustrated.
2. Physiology. Of a nerve impulse: propagated in the normal direction. Also: involving or relating to such impulses. Opposed to antidromic.
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the world > life > biology > biological processes > action of nervous system > [adjective] > direction of
panthodic1850
anodic1852
cellulifugal1894
cellifugal1901
cellipetal1901
orthodromic1943
1897 C. S. Sherrington in Proc. Royal Soc. 61 245 The propagation of the impulses artificially started in my observations must have been antidrome instead of orthodrome.]
1943 Jrnl. Neurophysiol. 6 143 (heading) The interaction of antidromic and orthodromic volleys in a segmental spinal motor nucleus.
1954 Jrnl. Physiol. 126 501 (heading) Interaction between direct current and orthodromic stimulation.
1972 Science 2 June 1043/1 The prolonged inhibition of the monographic excitation of motoneurons by orthodromic volleys in muscle and cutaneous afferent fibers.
1989 Jrnl. Psychopharmacol. 3 62P The test is based on the conduction failure that occurs when antidromic and orthodromic impulses cancel each other in the same axon.
2003 Biophysical Jrnl. 84 2700 Extra spikes add to the impulse barrage traveling toward the spinal cord, but they also travel antidromically in the peripheral nerve colliding with and occluding normal orthodromic spikes.
Derivatives
orthoˈdromically adv.
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the world > life > biology > biological processes > action of nervous system > [adverb] > direction of
orthodromically1951
1951 Proc. Royal Soc. B. 138 472 It is merely a localized example of the generalized subnormality that follows the propagation of an impulse (whether antidromically or orthodromically initiated) over the surface of the neurone.
1976 Nature 4 Mar. 56/2 When the interval between the two spikes was reduced progressively, the antidromic response eventually disappeared because it collided with the direct spike travelling orthodromically along the same nerve fibre.
2003 Jrnl. Neurosci. 23 6866 These action potentials..traveled antidromically to the neuropil and orthodromically to the pyloric dilator muscles.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2004; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1775