1739, from French ventral or directly from Late Latin ventralis "of or pertaining to the belly or stomach," from Latin venter (genitive ventris) "belly, paunch; stomach, appetite; womb, unborn child," from PIE *wend-tri- (source also of Latin vesica "bladder," Sanskrit vastih "bladder," Old High German wanast, German wanst "paunch, belly"), perhaps from root *udero- "abdomen, womb, stomach" (see uterus).