Added 10 October 2026
ambidextrous
/ˌæm.biˈdɛk.stɹəs/ adjective
Latin root: ambidexter Wiktionary
adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about ambidextrous at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- Having equal or comparable ability in both hands; in particular, able to write well with both hands.
- Equally usable by left-handed and right-handed people (as a tool or instrument).
- Practising or siding with both parties.
Origin
From Medieval Latin ambidexter + -ous, the former from ambi- (“both”) + dexter (“right”), thus literally “both hands being like a right hand”. By surface analysis, ambi- (“both”) + dextrous (“skillful; agile”). The Latin word is first attested in the Vetus Latina, calquing Ancient Greek ἀμφοτεροδέξιος (amphoterodéxios) in Judges 3:15 after the Septuagint, itself translating Hebrew אִטֵּר יַד יְמִינוֹ (iṭṭēr yaḏ yəmīnō, literally “bound in his right hand”). This phrase is now generally translated as “left-handed”; the Septuagint translation is either from a variant reading or from a different interpretation.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)