ambidexterity (n.)

"faculty of using both hands with equal facility," 1650s, with -ity + Medieval Latin ambidexter, literally "right-handed on both sides," from ambi- "both, on both sides" (see ambi-) + dexter "right-handed" (from PIE root *deks- "right; south").

also from 1650s

Entries linking to ambidexterity

ambi-

word-forming element meaning "both, on both sides," from Latin ambi- "around, round about" (before vowels amb-, also sometimes reduced to am-, an-), from PIE root *ambhi- "around," which is probably an ablative plural (*ant-bhi "from both sides") of *ant- "front, forehead."

*deks-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "right, opposite left," hence "south" (from the viewpoint of one facing east).

It forms all or part of: ambidexterity; ambidextrous; deasil; destrier; Dexter; dexterity; dexterous; dextro-.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit daksinah "on the right hand, southern, skillful;" Avestan dashina- "on the right hand;" Greek dexios "on the right hand," also "fortunate, clever;" Latin dexter "skillful," also "right (hand);" Old Irish dess "on the right hand, southern;" Welsh deheu; Gaulish Dexsiva, name of a goddess of fortune; Gothic taihswa; Lithuanian dešinas; Old Church Slavonic desnu, Russian desnoj.

-ity

*ambhi-

See all related words (4) >

Trends of ambidexterity

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. Ngrams are probably unreliable.

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Dexter

masc. proper name, from Latin dexter "on the right hand" (from PIE root *deks- "right, opposite of left; south"). See dexter (adj.) and compare also Benjamin. The English surname, however, is literally "a dyer," attested from c. 1300, from a variant of deie "dye" (see dye (n.)) +

carpenter

"artificer in timber, one who does the heavier sort of wood-working," c. 1300 (attested from early 12c. as a surname), from Anglo-French carpenter, Old North French carpentier (Old French and Modern French charpentier), from Late Latin (artifex) carpentarius "wagon (maker); carri

stamp

Middle English stampen "pound, mash, beat, crush," from Old English stempan "to pound, crush, or bruise in or as in a mortar," from Proto-Germanic *stamp- (source also of Old Norse stappa, Danish stampe, Middle Dutch stampen, Old High German stampfon, German stampfen "to stamp wi

voluptuous

late 14c., "of or pertaining to desires or appetites," from Old French voluptueux, volumptueuse and directly from Latin voluptuosus "full of pleasure, delightful," from voluptas "pleasure, delight, enjoyment, satisfaction," from volup "pleasurably," perhaps ultimately related to

forget

Old English forgietan "lose the power of recalling to the mind; fail to remember; neglect inadvertently," from for-, used here probably with privative force, "away, amiss, opposite" + gietan "to grasp" (see get (v.)). To "un-get," hence "to lose" from the mind. A common Germanic

abyss

late 14c. in Latin form abyssus, "depths of the earth or sea; primordial chaos;" early 14c. as abime "depths of the earth or sea; bottomless pit, Hell" (via Old French; see abysm). Both are from Late Latin abyssus "bottomless pit," from Greek abyssos (limnē) "bottomless (pool),"

expose

early 15c., "to leave without shelter or defense," from Old French esposer, exposer "lay open, set forth, speak one's mind, explain" (13c.), from Latin exponere "set forth, lay open, exhibit, reveal, publish," from ex "from, forth" (see ex-) + ponere "to put, place" (see position

impression

late 14c., "mark produced by pressure," also "image produced in the mind or emotions by something external," from Old French impression "print, stamp; a pressing on the mind" (13c.), from Latin impressionem (nominative impressio) "a pressing into, onset, attack," figuratively "a

jersey

1580s as a type of knitted cloth; 1842 as a breed of cattle; both from Jersey, one of the Channel Islands. Its name is said to be a corruption of Latin Caesarea, the Roman name for the island (or another near it), influenced by Old English ey "island" (see island); but it is perh

article

c. 1200, "separate parts of anything written" (such as the statements in the Apostles' Creed, the clauses of a statute or contract), from Old French article (13c.), from Latin articulus "a part, a member," also "a knuckle; the article in grammar," diminutive of artus "a joint" (f

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updated on September 18, 2022

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Dictionary entries near ambidexterity

amber

ambergris

*ambhi-

ambi-

ambiance

ambidexterity

ambidextrous

Ambien

ambience

ambient

ambiguity