sinistral
Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, or on the left side; left (opposed to dextral).
-
(of certain gastropod shells) coiling counterclockwise, as seen from the apex.
adjective
-
of, relating to, or located on the left side, esp the left side of the body
-
a technical term for left-handed
-
(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.
An example of a sinistral, left-lateral strike-slip fault is the Dead Sea fault in Jordan and Israel.
From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2017
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
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
Dextral animals, with shell coiled pseudo-sinistrally; operculum with sinistral spiral; pallial cavity dorsal.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 5 "Gassendi, Pierre" to "Geocentric" by Various
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.
