What does "ambidexter" mean?
Someone who is ambidextrous.
Ambidexter
/ambɪˈdɛkstə/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Someone who is ambidextrous.
- Grammar: ambidexter is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: ambidextrous.
- Usage evidence: "Did you know Tom is an ambidexter?" "Um, who?" "I just told you: Tom."
How to use "ambidexter"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "ambidexter" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "ambidexter" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "ambidexter" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "ambidexter" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "ambidexter" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ambidextrous" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "ambidexter", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Someone who is ambidextrous.
- 2 A lawyer who takes fees from both plaintiff and defendant. archaic
"But the thing which in eminent instances signalizes so exceptional a nature is this: though the man's even temper and discreet bearing would seem to intimate a mind peculiarly subject to the law of reason, not the less in his heart he would seem to riot in complete exemption from that law, having apparently little to do with reason further than to employ it as an ambidexter implement for effecting the irrational."
- 3 Someone who is two-faced; a double-dealer, such as a cheat or a crook. broadly
"One takes upon him temperence, holiness […], whenas indeed he, and he, and he, and the rest are hypocrites, ambidexters, outsides, so many turning pictures, a lion on one side, a lamb on the other."
Adjective
- 1 Ambidextrous. not-comparable
"He then changed his battery, and being ambidexter, raised such a clatter upon the turnkey’s blind side, that this hero, believing him left-handed, converted his attention that way, and opposed the unenlightened side of his face to the right hand of Pipes […]"
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
""Did you know Tom is an ambidexter?" "Um, who?" "I just told you: Tom.""
Common questions
What is a synonym for "ambidexter"?
Common synonyms include: ambidextrous.
How do you use "ambidexter" in a sentence?
"Did you know Tom is an ambidexter?" "Um, who?" "I just told you: Tom."
How do you pronounce "ambidexter"?
Pronounced /ambɪˈdɛkstə/.
Etymology
Borrowed from Medieval Latin ambidexter, from Latin ambi- + dexter.