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word of the day

The word for today is…

ambidextrous (adjective) –
1a : using both hands with equal ease or dexterity
b soccer : using both feet with equal ease :
2 : designed or suitable for use by the left or right hand
3 : unusually skillful
4 : characterized by duplicity

Source : Merriam -Webster

Etymology : Latin dexter originally meant “related to or situated on the right side,” but since most people do things better with the right hand, “dexter” developed the sense of “skillful” (as demonstrated by our word dexterous). In 1646, English physician and author Sir Thomas Browne combined “dexter” with the Latin prefix ambi- (meaning “both”) in the first documented use of “ambidextrous”: “Some are . . . ambidextrous or right-handed on both sides.” The word can now describe the kind of physical or mental agility demonstrated by one with multiple diverse talents. Ambidexter as a noun is attested from 1530s (in the sense “one who takes bribes from both sides”) and is the earliest form of the word in English; it was most commonly used referring to judges or jurors.

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