The plane may be in the center of the body and divide it into two equal parts (mid-sagittal), or away from the midline and divide it into unequal parts (para-sagittal).

The term sagittal was coined by Gerard of Cremona.

[2] Examples of sagittal planes include: The term sagittal derives from the Latin word sagitta, meaning "arrow".

An image of an arrow piercing a body and passing from front (anterior) to back (posterior) on a parabolic trajectory with the upright bow that shot it would be one way to demonstrate the derivation of the term.

The Oxford English Dictionary indicates that sagittal in the sense of the sagittal suture along the vertex of the skull pre-dates other anatomical usage.