left-handed

[left-han-did]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR left-handed ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

having the left hand more dominant or effective than the right; preferably using the left hand: a left-handed pitcher.

adapted to or performed by the left hand: a left-handed tool; a left-handed tennis serve.

situated on the side of the left hand.

Machinery.

rotating counterclockwise.
noting a helical or spiral member, as a gear tooth or screw thread, that twists counterclockwise as it recedes from an observer.

Building Trades. left-hand(def 3).

ambiguous or doubtful and often unfavorable or derogatory by implication: a left-handed compliment.

clumsy or awkward.

of, relating to, or issuing from a morganatic marriage: so called from the custom, in morganatic marriage ceremonies, of having the bridegroom give his left hand to the bride.

adverb

with the left hand: He writes left-handed.

toward the left hand; in a counterclockwise direction: The strands of the rope are laid left-handed.

Origin of left-handed

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at left¹, handed

Related formsleft-hand·ed·ly, adverbleft-hand·ed·ness, noun

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

Related Words for left-handed

awkward, clumsy, dubious, gauche, insincere, maladroit, sinister, ambilevous, sinistral, southpaw

Examples from the Web for left-handed

Contemporary Examples of left-handed

Besides, he was left-handed, and top-notch left-handed golfers are almost as rare as left-handed catchers.
Portrait of the Consummate Con Man
John Lardner
May 17, 2014
Apparently, a fair number of left-handed people die each year from using right-handed products incorrectly.
15 Things More Likely to Happen than Winning Mega Millions
Andrew Carter
March 30, 2012

Historical Examples of left-handed

It was the elder Dumas who said, "Truth is liable to be left-handed in history."
Aztec Land
Maturin M. Ballou
Indeed my innermost feeling, now, is that "The Return" is a left-handed production.
Tales of Unrest
Joseph Conrad
Only one, I remember, noticed that I was shot by a left-handed man.
The Million-Dollar Suitcase
Alice MacGowan
“I never knew before that you were left-handed,” he returned evasively.
Whispering Smith
Frank H. Spearman
If our friend is left-handed, he'll be inconvenienced for a day or two.
The Lure of the Mask
Harold MacGrath

British Dictionary definitions for left-handed

left-handed

adjective

using the left hand with greater ease than the right

performed with the left hand

designed or adapted for use by the left hand

worn on the left hand

awkward or clumsy

ironically ambiguousa left-handed compliment

turning from right to left; anticlockwise

law another term for morganatic

adverb

with the left hand

Derived Formsleft-handedly, adverbleft-handedness, noun

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

Word Origin and History for left-handed

adj.

late 14c., of persons; 1650s of tools, etc., from left (adj.) + handed. In 15c. it also could mean "maimed." Sense of "underhanded" is from early 17c., as in left-handed compliment (1787, also attested 1855 in pugilism slang for "a punch with the left fist"), as is that of "illicit" (e.g. left-handed marriage). Related: Left-handedly; left-handedness.

left-handed in Medicine

left-handed

adj.

Using the left hand more skillfully or easily than the right.