Ambidextrous
/ˌæm.bɪˈdɛk.strəs/noun
Able to use both hands with equal skill, or showing unusual skill with both sides.
Did you know?Its root combines ambi- (“both”) with dexter (“right-handed”), and in Roman symbolism the right side was lucky and favorable—so the word quietly encodes a double blessing.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
deks-
“right hand, right side”
Latin
Latin
dexter
“right-handed; skilled; favorable”
Late Latin
Latin
ambidexter
“right-handed on both sides; able to use either hand”
Late Middle English
English
ambidextre
“having equal skill with both hands”
16th Century
English
ambidextrous
“able to use both hands equally well”
Explore more surprising origins