Dexter
/ˈdɛk.stər/noun
On the right side; especially in heraldry, the right-hand side from the bearer’s perspective.
Did you know?In Latin, *dexter* meant both “right-hand” and “skillful,” which is why English still preserves the split in words like *dexterous* and the darker opposite *sinister* for the left side.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*deḱs-
“the right side”
Latin
Latin
dexter
“right-hand; favorable; skillful”
Late Latin
Latin
dextrā
“on the right side; to the right”
Old French
Old French
dextre
“right side; right hand”
Middle English
English
dextre
“right-hand side; the right”
Modern English
English
dexter
“the right-hand side, especially in heraldic description”
Explore more surprising origins