right hand
1 Americannoun
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the hand that is on the right side, or the side opposite that where the heart is.
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the right side, as of a person, especially this side considered as the side of precedence or courtesy.
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a position of honor or special trust.
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an extremely efficient or reliable person or, sometimes, tool, especially a person considered as one's assistant.
adjective
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on the right.
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of, for, or with the right hand.
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most reliable, valuable, or useful, as a helper or assistant.
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Building Trades. Also
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(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.
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(of a casement sash) having the hinges on the right when seen from inside the window.
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adjective
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of, relating to, located on, or moving towards the right
a right-hand bend
this car has right-hand drive
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for use by the right hand; right-handed
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one's most valuable assistant or supporter
Etymology
Origin of right hand1
before 1000; Middle English; Old English
Origin of right-hand1
adj. use of right hand
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Beth has had to live with many of the consequences ever since - she can't use her right hand, has speech difficulties and lives in pain, her mother said.
From BBC
His right hand shows persistent bruising, often covered with thick makeup and at times a bandage, and his ankles have appeared swollen.
From Barron's
“The second the test footage started, I immediately felt so confident that we are in the right hands,” she recalls.
From Los Angeles Times
With two pink-felted mallets in his right hand and one in the left, he began to pick out the mesmeric rhythm and melody, expertly striking the xylophone-like metal bars creating a delicate, resonant sound.
From BBC
On their doorstep stood a man with a bin bag containing his possessions in his right hand and a frozen chicken in his left.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
