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Ambisinister

[am-bih-SIN-is-tər]

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin and Middle English

1.

(Rare) Awkward or clumsy with both hands.

Examples of Ambisinister in a sentence

"Jesse couldn’t play basketball because he was ambisinister."

"Arthritis made Phyllis feel ambisinister after years of working with her hands."

About Ambisinister

This word translates literally into “both sides left-handed.” “Ambi-” is a prefix originating from the Latin “ambo-,” meaning “both.” “Sinister” stems from the Middle English “sinistre,” meaning “unlucky.” It comes from the Old French “sinistra,” meaning “left,” from the Latin “sinestra,” which is “left hand.”

Did you Know?

“Ambisinister” goes hand in hand, so to speak, with “ambidextrous,” which means having strong and equal abilities in both hands. While ambisinister translates into “both sides left-handed,” the latter literally means “both sides right-handed,” — the dominant hand for most people.

illustration Ambisinister

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