adj. Anatomy.

1. 1. Of, at, or near the tail or hind parts; posterior: the caudal fin of a fish.
   2. Situated beneath or on the underside; inferior.
2. Similar to a tail in form or function.

[New Latin caudālis, from Latin cauda, tail.]

caudally cau'dal·ly adv.

1. pertaining to a cauda.
2. situated more towards the cauda, or tail, than some specified reference point; toward the inferior (in humans) or hinder (in animals) end of the body. See also posterior.

• c. anesthesia — a type of regional anesthesia in which the anesthetizing solution is injected into the caudal area of the spinal canal through the caudal end of the sacrum and tail. It affects the caudal nerve roots, and renders the cervix, vagina and perineum insensitive to pain.
• c. cervical instability — see wobbler syndrome. Called also caudal cervical malformation–malarticulation.
• c. cervical malformation/malarticulation — caudal cervical instability (see wobbler syndrome).
• c. fold test — the single intradermal (SID) fold tuberculin test for tuberculosis.
• c. impression of liver — the renal impression.
• c. sheath — part of the maturation process of spermatid to spermatozoa; a caudal sheath of microtubules develops at the caudal edge of the head cap. Called also manchette.
• c. tailfold — when the cow's tail is lifted there are two, rarely a single central, folds of skin from the edges of the ventral surface of the tail to beside the anus. The site of injection and a control for the single intradermal test. See also caudal fold test (above).
• c. tract — usually refers to the tubular part of the female genital tract.
• c. vena cava — see vena cava.
• c. vena caval thrombosis — thrombosis of the caudal vena cava arises from a hepatic abscess. The commonest result is the subsequent shedding of emboli and the development of a chronic pulmonary disease often terminated by massive pulmonary hemorrhage and bleeding to death through the mouth and nostrils. Others suffer a chronic course with anemia, dyspnea and persistent cough and are euthanatized because of cachexia and prolonged distress.

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IN BRIEF: At or near the tail.

The bug bit the caudal end of the horse.

Tutor's tip: The "caudal" (relating to a tail) end of the cat is too close to the "caudle" (a drink).

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