dexter
[ dek-ster ]
/ ˈdɛk stər /
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adjective
on the right side; right.
noting the side of a heraldic shield that is to the right of one who bears it (opposed to sinister).
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Origin of dexter
1555–65; <Latin: right, favorable; akin to Gothic taihswa,Old Irish dess,Greek dexiós,Lithuanian dẽšinas,Sanskrit dakṣina
Words nearby dexter
dexfenfluramine, dexie, dexiocardia, dexiotropic, dexpanthenol, dexter, dexterity, dexterous, dextr-, dextrad, dextral
Other definitions for dexter (2 of 2)
Dexter
[ dek-ster ]
/ ˈdɛk stər /
noun
Also Dex·ter-Ker·ry [dek-ster-ker-ee]. /ˈdɛk stərˈkɛr i/. one of a breed of small, hardy, usually black dual-purpose cattle, derived from the Kerry breed of Ireland.
a male given name.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use dexter in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for dexter (1 of 3)
dexter1
/ (ˈdɛkstə) /
adjective
archaic of or located on the right side
(usually postpositive) heraldry of, on, or starting from the right side of a shield from the bearer's point of view and therefore on the spectator's left
Compare sinister
Word Origin for dexter
C16: from Latin; compare Greek dexios on the right hand
British Dictionary definitions for dexter (2 of 3)
dexter2
/ (ˈdɛkstə) /
noun
a small breed of red or black beef cattle, originally from Ireland
Word Origin for dexter
C19: perhaps from the surname of the original breeder
British Dictionary definitions for dexter (3 of 3)
Dexter
/ (ˈdɛkstə) /
noun
John. 1925–90, British actor and theatre director
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
Medical definitions for dexter
dexter
[ dĕk′stər ]
adj.
Of or located on the right side.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.