Dextrous

/ˈdɛkstrəs/ adjective

Definition

Skillful and clever with your hands, or generally skillful and clever in how you handle situations.

Etymology

From Latin dexter, 'right,' originally referring to right-handedness but evolving to mean skillful since most people were right-handed. The word appeared in English in the 1600s, initially literally meaning 'right-handed.'

Kelly Says

About 90% of people are right-handed, so 'dexter' in Latin literally meant 'right'—and right-handed people were seen as so much more skilled that the word 'dextrous' became synonymous with skillfulness itself!

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