---------------------------------------------------------------------- The Learning Kingdom's Cool Word of the Day for March 15, 1999 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ambidextrous [adj. am-bi-DEK-strus] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- If you are ambidextrous, it means that you can use your right and left hands about equally well. Some ambidextrous people have handedness for particular activities -- writing with the right hand and drawing with the left one, for instance. The word has an interesting origin. The Latin "ambi-" means on both sides or around, and "dexter" means right-handed or skillful. So, literally, ambidextrous means having two "right" hands. We see the ambi- root in a number of other words, including: ambiguous: having at least two possible meanings ambivalent: having mixed feelings ambiversion: describes a personality that is sometimes introverted, sometimes extroverted The dexter- root gives us these words: dexterous, dextrous: skillful with one's hands dextral: on the right side, right-handed dextrorotation: a turning to the right This last term is normally used to describe the polarization of light, but The Learning Kingdom suggests a more general usage: "To get to the bank, continue on Main Street and then make a dextrorotation onto First Street..." :-) Today's sponsor: FREE VOCABULARY SCREEN SAVER! ---------------- http://www.wordcommand.com/demo.htm ----------------- Take advantage of this special offer for Learning Kingdom members only. Click below to get your FREE trial version of WordCommand Vocabulary Software including a FREE vocabulary screen saver! Awarded ZD Net Editors' Pick. ---------- Click Here: http://www.wordcommand.com/demo.htm ---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Cool Word of the Day list membership: 66,880 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To subscribe, visit http://www.tlk-lists.com/join/ To unsubscribe, visit http://www.tlk-lists.com/change/ To become a sponsor, visit http://www.tlk-lists.com/sponsor/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright (c) 1999, The Learning Kingdom, Inc. http://www.LearningKingdom.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------