Dictionary

dexterous en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈdɛkstɹəs/
• (US) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *déḱs Proto-Indo-European *deḱs-terósder. Proto-Italic *deksteros Latin dexter Proto-Indo-European *h₃ed- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *h₃édosder.? Proto-Italic *-ŏ̄dsos? Old Latin -ōssus Latin -ōsus Old French -usbor. Middle English -ous English -ous English dexterous From Latin dexter (“right, ready”) + -ous. Displaced native Old English handcræftiġ.

Meanings

1. Skillful with one's hands.
   • She is pleasingly dexterous with the chopsticks, and keeps one hand lying palm up on her lap. Pinched with just the right pressure between the sticks; funny how plump women have that delicate touch. 1960, John Updike, 'Rabbit, Run', page 57:
2. Skillful in some specific thing.
   • We went frequently out with this boat a-fishing; and as I was most dexterous to catch fish for him, he never went without me. 1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC:
3. Agile; flexible; able to move fluidly and gracefully.
4. (archaic, figuratively) Skilled at argumentation; mentally skillful; quick-witted.
   • 1775, speech by Edmund Burke […] the study [of law] renders men acute, inquisitive, dexterous, prompt in attack, ready in defense […]

Forms

Deriveds

undexterous · dexterously · nondexterous · dexterousness

Hypernyms

graceful

Relateds

adroit · expert · ambidextrous · active · dexterity · dexter · ready · skillful · apt · clever · handy · able · versed

Translations (133)

ru уме́лый (skillful in some specific thing) · fi näppärä (skillful with one's hands) · bg сръчен (skillful in some specific thing) · de gewandt (agile; flexible) · pt habilidoso (skillful in some specific thing) · sh vešt (skillful with one's hands) · cs šikovný (skillful with one's hands) · tr mârifetli (skillful in some specific thing) · it destro (skillful with one's hands) · ka ოსტატური (skillful in some specific thing) · hi दक्ष (skillful with one's hands) · ru иску́сный (skillful in some specific thing) · fr habile (skillful with one's hands) · ro îndemânatic (skillful with one's hands) · es duecho (skillful in some specific thing) · ru прово́рный (skillful with one's hands) · ru ги́бкий (agile; flexible) · cs zručný (skillful with one's hands) · mk умешен (skillful in some specific thing) · be зру́чны (skillful with one's hands) · ka გაწაფული (skillful with one's hands) · ro descurcăreț (skillful in some specific thing) · sk šikovný (skillful with one's hands) · ru уме́лый (skillful with one's hands) · de gewandt (skillful in some specific thing) · uk умі́лий (skillful with one's hands) · cmn 靈巧 /灵巧 (skillful with one's hands) · gl áxil (agile; flexible) · tr hünerli (skillful in some specific thing) · sh felksibilan (agile; flexible) · it aggraziato (agile; flexible) · gl hábil (skillful with one's hands) · es diestro (skillful in some specific thing) · sh savitljiv (agile; flexible) · sv händig (skillful with one's hands) · de geschickt (skillful with one's hands) · gv aghtal (skillful with one's hands) · pl zręczny (skillful in some specific thing) · crh çeber (skillful in some specific thing) · pl wprawny (skillful in some specific thing) · tr çevik (agile; flexible) · it abile (skillful in some specific thing) · fi jäntevä (agile; flexible) · de tüchtig (skillful in some specific thing) · hi कुशल (skillful in some specific thing) · bg находчив (skillful in some specific thing) · mk умешен (skillful with one's hands) · it agile (agile; flexible) · de geschickt (skillful in some specific thing) · mk спретен (skillful with one's hands) · tr mahâhretli (skillful in some specific thing) · la pernix (agile; flexible) · la agilis (agile; flexible) · lv veikls (skillful in some specific thing) · tr eli çabuk (skillful with one's hands) · es diestro (agile; flexible) · es mañoso (skillful in some specific thing) · lv veikls (agile; flexible) · hi निपुण (skillful in some specific thing) · uk спри́тний (skillful with one's hands) · nl handig (skillful with one's hands) · bg сръчен (skillful with one's hands) · bg ловък (skillful in some specific thing) · fi kätevä (skillful with one's hands) · de agil (agile; flexible) · be спры́тны (skillful with one's hands) · bg умел (skillful in some specific thing) · bg изкусен (skillful in some specific thing) · sk zručný (skillful with one's hands) · es diestro (skillful with one's hands) · de flexibel (agile; flexible) · pl gibki (agile; flexible) · hi दक्ष (skillful in some specific thing) · tr mâhir (skillful in some specific thing) · tr atik (agile; flexible) · bg ловък (agile; flexible) · ca destre (skillful in some specific thing) · pt hábil (skillful in some specific thing) · nl handig (skillful in some specific thing) · sh вешт (skillful with one's hands) · ru ло́вкий (agile; flexible) · be уме́лы (skillful with one's hands) · da behændig (skillful with one's hands) · sh вјешт (skillful with one's hands) · pl zręczny (agile; flexible) · ka მკვირცხლი (agile; flexible) · cs pružný (agile; flexible) · sh vješt (skillful with one's hands) · ka მოძრავი (agile; flexible) · it abile (skillful with one's hands) · it ingegnoso (skillful with one's hands) · ro abil (skillful in some specific thing) · fr adroit (skillful with one's hands) · de fingerfertig (skillful with one's hands) · ang handcræftiġ (skillful with one's hands) · nl behendig (agile; flexible) · lv veikls (skillful with one's hands) · de flink (agile; flexible) · ka დახელოვნებული (skillful in some specific thing) · ka მოხერხებული (skillful with one's hands) · eo manlerta (skillful with one's hands) · tr becerikli (skillful in some specific thing) · sk šikovný (skillful in some specific thing) · sk ladný (agile; flexible) · cmn 機巧 /机巧 (skillful with one's hands) · nl behendig (skillful with one's hands) · ru ло́вкий (skillful with one's hands) · pt ágil (agile; flexible) · pl umiejętny (skillful with one's hands) · uk згра́бний (skillful with one's hands) · gv aghtal (skillful in some specific thing) · it svelto (skillful in some specific thing) · ka მარჯვე (skillful with one's hands) · de behänd (skillful with one's hands) · pl zręczny (skillful with one's hands) · ka დახელოვნებული (skillful with one's hands) · ka გაწაფული (skillful in some specific thing) · es ducho (skillful in some specific thing) · fi kätevä käsistään (skillful with one's hands) · arn trüf (skillful with one's hands) · hi दस्तकार (skillful with one's hands) · fi ketterä (agile; flexible) · pt hábil/habilidoso (com as mãos) (skillful with one's hands) · mi haratau (skillful with one's hands) · ka ცოცხალი (agile; flexible) · lv vingrs (agile; flexible) · ka მარდი (agile; flexible) · ja 器用な (skillful with one's hands) · ka ოსტატური (skillful with one's hands) · bg умел (skillful with one's hands) · mk вешт (skillful in some specific thing) · fi taitava (skillful in some specific thing) · ro abil (skillful with one's hands)