sinistral
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or on the left side; left (opposed to dextral).
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(of certain gastropod shells) coiling counterclockwise, as seen from the apex.
adjective
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of, relating to, or located on the left side, esp the left side of the body
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a technical term for left-handed
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(of the shells of certain gastropod molluscs) coiling in a clockwise direction from the apex
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sinistral
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English word from Medieval Latin word sinistrālis. See sinister, -al 1
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.
If the block on the opposing side of the fault moves left relative to the observer’s block, this is called sinistral motion.
From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017
An example of a sinistral, left-lateral strike-slip fault is the Dead Sea fault in Jordan and Israel.
From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017
In his trademark Muppet-huffing-helium timbre, Q-Tip spits, “This time we’re going left and not right,” a sinistral declaration of artistic and political principle — a refusal to play it safe.
From Washington Post • Nov. 15, 2016
At the beginning of the last decade it was not uncommon for Harte to be praised as a sinistral David Beckham.
From The Guardian • May 29, 2012
Occasionally the dextral circuit is followed in cases in which it is evidently less convenient than the sinistral would be, as in dealing cards in all ordinary games.
From Current Superstitions Collected from the Oral Tradition of English Speaking Folk by Bergen, Fanny D. (Fanny Dickerson)
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.
