ambidextrous

[ am-bi-dek-struh s ]

/ ˌæm bɪˈdɛk strəs /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ambidextrous ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

able to use both hands equally well: an ambidextrous surgeon.

unusually skillful; facile: an ambidextrous painter, familiar with all media.

double-dealing; deceitful.

Slang. bisexual.

Nearby words

ambi-, ambiance, ambidentate, ambidexter, ambidexterity, ambidextrous, ambien, ambience, ambient, ambient air standard, ambient music

Origin of ambidextrous

First recorded in 1640–50; ambidext(e)r + -ous

Related forms

am·bi·dex·trous·ly, adverbam·bi·dex·trous·ness, nounpseu·do·am·bi·dex·trous, adjectivepseu·do·am·bi·dex·trous·ly, adverb

Can be confused

ambidextrous ambisextrousambidextrous ambisinistrous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ambidextrous

Of course, the ambidextrous ironies of the current situation work both ways.
Obama's Tough Love for Detroit|Paul Kedrosky|March 31, 2009|DAILY BEAST
A man who is ambidextrous will sign his name differently with his right or left hand, but it is the same signature.
Real Ghost Stories|William T. Stead
A genius, and ambidextrous, he could write sonnets with one hand and compose operas with the other.
Edgar Saltus: The Man|Marie Saltus
He walked with bare feet, using both hands (for he was ambidextrous) to draw round him a red embroidered cloth.
A Literary History of the Arabs|Reynold Nicholson

And with his left hand he drew his bow instantly, for he was ambidextrous, and hit and killed the horse of Iaudas.
History of the Wars, Books III and IV (of 8)|Procopius
Fortunately he was ambidextrous, could use his left hand almost as readily as his right, and this helped him immensely.
Bert Wilson, Wireless Operator|J. W. Duffield

British Dictionary definitions for ambidextrous

ambidextrous

/ (ˌæmbɪˈdɛkstrəs) /

adjective

equally expert with each hand

informal highly skilled or adept

underhanded; deceitful

Derived Forms

ambidexterity (ˌæmbɪdɛkˈstɛrɪtɪ) or ambidextrousness, nounambidextrously, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ambidextrous

adjective

Nearby words

Origin of ambidextrous

Related forms

Can be confused

Examples from the Web for ambidextrous

British Dictionary definitions for ambidextrous

ambidextrous

adjective

Derived Forms

Medicine definitions for ambidextrous

ambidextrous

adj.