Dictionary

lefty en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈlɛfti/
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree English left Proto-Germanic *-j-, *-ij- Proto-West Germanic *-i, *-ī Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English lefty From left + -y (nominal suffix).

Meanings

1. (Canada, US, informal) One who is left-handed.
2. (UK, informal) One who has left-wing political views.
   • The new brocialism cares deeply about women’s issues of course – just not enough to elect an actual woman. They don’t need to, because good lefties speak for all us. They don’t even notice gender. 2015 September 12, Suzanne Moore, “As Jeremy Corbyn was anointed leader, not one female voice was heard”, in The Guardian:
3. (slang) One's left testicle.
   • I'll bet my lefty he won't show up for work today.
4. (Multicultural-London-English, slang, uncommon) One's left hand.
   • This pole gets whipped, I miss dishing it, putting red on the can like Pepsi Govs said I defy, I never been right but my yank does love my lefty 2020 January 18, “Routine”, (CGE) Young Stacks (lyrics), 0:35:
   • Spin that whip, let me see that dog, Imma blam that goal like Messi, shit gets messy – and I still get him down with my lefty 2022 April 14, “REALIFE”, LF70 (lyrics), 1:29:

Forms

Antonyms

righty · rightie · righty · rightie

Deriveds

leftycuck · leftypol · lefty- · loony lefty · leftyspeak

Synonyms

left-winger · leftie · leftie · left-hander · southpaw · leftist

Translations (6)

ru лева́к (one who has left-wing political views) · fr gaucho (one who has left-wing political views) · fi vassari (one who has left-wing political views) · ru лева́чка (one who has left-wing political views) · he שְׂמֹאלָנִי (one who has left-wing political views) · he שְׂמָאלִי (one who has left-wing political views)

lefty en · ADJ · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /ˈlɛfti/
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree English left Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English lefty From left + -y (adjectival suffix).

Meanings

1. (Canada, US, not-comparable) Left-handed.
2. (Canada, US, not-comparable) Intended for left-handed use.
   • The lefty scissors are the ones with the red plastic handles.
3. (UK, especially, informal) Left-wing.
   • The prospect of an Argentinian amalgam of Bolsonaro and Trump taking power has horrified progressive voters and also, apparently, Pope Francis, whom Milei has bad-mouthed as a “lefty son of a bitch”. 2023 October 22, Tom Phillips, Uki Goñi, “‘Bad and dangerous’: Argentina’s Trump on track to become president”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
   • Lefty Twitter
   • Lefty media

Forms

Synonyms

woke