sinistral
adjective
si·nis·tral
ˈsi-nə-strəl 
sə-ˈni-
sə-ˈni-
: of, relating to, or inclined to the left: such as
a
b
of a gastropod shell
: having the whorls coiling counterclockwise down the spire when viewed with the apex toward the observer and having the aperture situated on the left of the axis when held with the spire uppermost and with the aperture opening toward the observer compare dextral sense b
Examples of sinistral in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The majority of snails are dextral, but sinistral forms have evolved time and time again.
—
Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 7 Dec. 2010
There is no position in the Satsuma snail Kama Sutra that will allow a dextral and sinistral snail to mate.
—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 7 Dec. 2010
Yes, Obama and McCain are both sinistral, a rather unlikely occurrence since just 7-10% of adults are left handed.
—Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 30 July 2010
Six of 32 dextral snails produced 17 sinistral offspring out of 6,302 total offspring.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN, 2 June 2020
Its shell coiled counterclockwise to the left instead of the right, which made Jeremy a sinistral snail.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN, 2 June 2020
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Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 7 Dec. 2010
There is no position in the Satsuma snail Kama Sutra that will allow a dextral and sinistral snail to mate.
—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 7 Dec. 2010
Yes, Obama and McCain are both sinistral, a rather unlikely occurrence since just 7-10% of adults are left handed.
—Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 30 July 2010
Six of 32 dextral snails produced 17 sinistral offspring out of 6,302 total offspring.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN, 2 June 2020
Its shell coiled counterclockwise to the left instead of the right, which made Jeremy a sinistral snail.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN, 2 June 2020
Dictionary Entries Near sinistral
Cite this Entry
“Sinistral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sinistral. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
sinistral
1 of 2 adjective
si·nis·tral
ˈsin-əs-trəl
sə-ˈnis-
sə-ˈnis-
: of, relating to, or inclined to the left
especially
: left-handed
sinistral
2 of 2 noun
: a person exhibiting dominance of the left hand and eye : a left-handed person
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