apposed

Apposed is the past participle adjective of the verb appose, meaning placed side by side or juxtaposed. It is commonly used to describe the relationship of two objects that have been positioned adjacent to one another, often to facilitate alignment, contact, or comparison. The term derives from Latin apponere, to place near, through Old French and Middle English.

In linguistics, the concept of apposition is usually described with the noun phrase in apposition or with the term appositive. While apposed appears in some descriptive texts to indicate that two elements are in apposition, it is less common than the standard terms. Example: the noun phrase is in apposition, or the apposed phrase is juxtaposed with the head noun.

In medicine and anatomy, apposed is used to describe tissue or margins brought together, typically by sutures or anastomosis. Example: the wound edges were apposed. In surgical notes, apposed mucosa or apposed skin edges indicates closure.

In other technical fields, such as engineering, apposed surfaces describes faces placed in contact or aligned for assembly.

See also: apposition, appositive, appose.