southpaw

American  

[south-paw] / ˈsaʊθˌpɔ /

noun

• southpaws
  plural

1. a person who is left-handed.

2. Sports.

   1. a player who throws with the left hand, especially a pitcher.

   2. Boxing. a boxer who leads with the right hand and stands with the right foot forward, using the left hand for the most powerful blows.

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adjective

1. left-handed.

southpaw British  

/ ˈsaʊθˌpɔː /

noun

1. a boxer who leads with his right hand and off his right foot as opposed to the orthodox style of leading with the left

2. any left-handed person

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adjective

1. of or relating to a southpaw

Usage

What does southpaw mean? A southpaw is a left-handed person, especially a boxer or baseball pitcher. It is also an adjective meaning “left-handed.”What are other words are related to southpaw:

• pitcher
• boxing
• baseball

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• southpaws
  plural

Etymology

Origin of southpaw

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; south + paw ¹

Explanation

If you're left-handed, you can call yourself a southpaw. If you're also a baseball fan, you may admire southpaws like the famous left-handed pitcher Sandy Koufax. The slightly old-fashioned term southpaw may have started in the 1880s as baseball slang for left-handed pitchers. Legend has it that a Chicago sports writer coined the term, based on the now-obsolete tradition of laying out baseball diamonds with home plate toward the west. Others attribute southpaw to boxing slang, for "left-handed punch." Whatever the origin, it's a colorful way to describe any lefty.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

southpaw southpaws

And the 5ft 9in southpaw said she is ready to draw on the experience of being the pantomime villain.

From BBC ● Apr. 3, 2026

The diminutive southpaw came out of retirement last year.

From Barron's ● Feb. 23, 2026

Last year, after not being able to come to terms with relief pitcher Alex Vesia by the deadline, the southpaw and the team came to an agreement a few weeks later, avoiding a hearing altogether.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 8, 2026

A straight left from the champion's southpaw stance landed cleanly and regularly in the third round as the gap in class became increasingly clear.

From BBC ● Dec. 19, 2025

The one who’d taught me how to pitch, and me a southpaw.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

He averages 23.9 against southpaws compared with 31.3 against right-handers - helpful for England because Tongue and Atkinson's records are almost a mirror image.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

Manager Dave Martinez said he sat the left-handed-hitting García to give him rest but also because he wanted him to work on his approach against southpaws.

From Washington Post ● May 2, 2023

Pollock has historically destroyed left-handed pitching; Kelenic has been completely overmatched against southpaws.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 17, 2023

While this was easy enough to do on the left wrist, southpaws would have to reach all the way over in an uncomfortable way to use the feature.

From The Verge ● Jul. 27, 2022

They've been tryin' southpaws and been beaten all over the lots.

From Baseball Joe in the Big League or, A Young Pitcher's Hardest Struggles by Lester Chadwick