ambidextrous
pronunciation
How to pronounce ambidextrous in British English:
UK [ˌæmbiˈdekstrəs]
How to pronounce ambidextrous in American English:
US [ˌæmbɪˈdɛkstrəs]
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- Adjective:
- equally skillful with each hand
- marked by deliberate deceptiveness especially by pretending one set of feelings and acting under the influence of another
Word Origin
- ambidextrous
- ambidextrous: [16] Ambidextrous means literally ‘right-handed on both sides’. It was formed in Latin from the prefix ambi- ‘both’ and the adjective dexter ‘right-handed’ (source of English dextrous). Ambi- corresponds to the Latin adjective ambo ‘both’, which derived ultimately from the Indo-European base *amb- ‘around’ (an element in the source of ambassador and embassy).The second element in Latin ambo seems to correspond to Old English ba ‘both’, which is related to modern English both. Other English words formed with the prefix amb(i)- include ambient [16] (which came, like ambition, from Latin ambīre ‘go round’), ambit [16] (from Latin ambitus ‘circuit’), ambiguous, ambition, amble, and ambulance.=> dextrous
- ambidextrous (adj.)
- 1640s, with -ous, from ambidexter (adj.) "double-dealing" (1610s), from French ambidextre or directly from Latin ambidexter, literally "right-handed on both sides," from ambi- "both" (see ambi-) + dexter "right-handed" (see dexterity). Its opposite, ambilevous "left-handed on both sides, clumsy" (1640s) is rare. Ambidexter as a noun, "one who takes bribes from both sides," is attested from 1530s and is the earliest form of the word in English; its sense of "one who uses both hands equally well" appears by 1590s.
Example
- 1. Able to use both hands with equal facility ; ambidextrous .
- 2. I am more ambidextrous , which I call " refty ! "
- 3. How the ambidextrous organization affect the performance of entrepreneurial firm ?
- 4. So being left-handed or ambidextrous , like virtually everything in life , has both its pluses and minuses .
- 5. The ambidextrous scissors really don 't work !