right-hand

¹

[rahyt-hand]

adjective

1. on the right.

2. of, for, or with the right hand.

3. most reliable, valuable, or useful, as a helper or assistant.

4. plain-laid.

5. Building Trades.,  Also

   1. (of a door) having the hinges on the right when seen from the exterior of the building, room, closet, etc., to which the doorway leads.

   2. (of a casement sash) having the hinges on the right when seen from inside the window.

right hand

²

noun

1. the hand that is on the right side, or the side opposite that where the heart is.

2. the right side, as of a person, especially this side considered as the side of precedence or courtesy.

3. a position of honor or special trust.

4. an extremely efficient or reliable person or, sometimes, tool, especially a person considered as one's assistant.

right-hand

adjective

1. of, relating to, located on, or moving towards the right

   a right-hand bend

   this car has right-hand drive

2. for use by the right hand; right-handed

3. one's most valuable assistant or supporter

Word History and Origins

Origin of right-hand¹

adj. use of right hand

Origin of right-hand²

before 1000; Middle English; Old English

Example Sentences

I turned around to a smiling woman whose right hand was outstretched—the same woman I’d met back in White Sulphur and whose daughter had often sat on my parents’ front porch.

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The central figure revealed his face a breath before the others, his right hand sheathed in a dazzling white glove.

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As Quiroz lifted her right hand last week to take the oath of office, she cradled her husband’s trademark white hat in her left arm.

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When he finished, he struck the pose of an artist, with his right hand reaching forward as if holding a small, invisible brush to canvas.

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The pass was behind Dent, so he had to reach back with his right hand, his back turned toward the basket on the far end of the court.

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Related Words

• crucial 
• fundamental 
• imperative 
• important 
• indispensable 
• main 
• necessary 
• needed 
• vital