Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Able to use both hands with equal facility.
  • adjective Unusually skillful; adroit.
  • adjective Deceptive or hypocritical.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Having the faculty of using both hands with equal ease and dexterity; hence, skilful; facile.
  • Practising or siding with both parties; double-dealing; deceitful.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Having the faculty of using both hands with equal ease.
  • adjective Practicing or siding with both parties.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Having equal ability in both hands; in particular, able to write equally well with both hands.
  • adjective Practising or siding with both parties.
  • adjective humorous Of a person, bisexual.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective equally skillful with each hand
  • adjective marked by deliberate deceptiveness especially by pretending one set of feelings and acting under the influence of another

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Alteration of archaic ambidexter, from Middle English, double dealer, from Medieval Latin : Latin ambi-, on both sides; see ambi– + Latin dexter, right-handed; see deks- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

ambi- + Latin dexter ("right") + -ous (as if both hands are like the right hand, which is the stronger hand in most people).

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Examples

  • I hate to use the term ambidextrous because how many people really are?

    The Seattle Times 2011

  • The company on Thursday said it may pursue what it calls an "ambidextrous" strategy that would allow it to offer chips that include circuitry developed by other companies as well as its own.

    AMD Will Incorporate Others' Technology in Its Chips Don Clark 2012

  • Well the word ambidextrous means "both as right" meaning that you can use both hands like non-sinister people use their right hands.

    Poll: Dems Not Rattled By "Centrist" Or "Bipartisan" Cabinet Picks 2009

  • And what do they call ambidextrous people, "Amby"?

    elfpvke Diary Entry elfpvke 2007

  • The symmetry also makes it ambidextrous, which is great for any left / right-handed families that share a home computer.

    Netvouz - new bookmarks 2009

  • You would give your right arm to be "ambidextrous" .. would that make you ambidextrous?

    Revenge of the Southpaws 2008

  • Pages tagged "ambidextrous" 5:51 pm on July 19, 2008 | # | Reply

    YOUR DESTINY IS IN YOUR HANDS? » Sociological Images 2008

  • The "ambidextrous" part means it each multi-mag carrier can be worn on either side of the body.

    Defense Review 2009

  • "Main-Focus Sights", ambidextrous "Maximum Reach Magazine Release" buttons, "Minimal Error Disassembly" takedown lever, a loaded chamber indicator, a striker status indicator, an Ultra Safety Assurance (USA) trigger safety, grip safety, and "Multi-Adjust Rail System"

    Defense Review 2009

  • #7 is NOT bullshit. and people don't have 'ambidextrous' minds.

    Netvouz - new bookmarks 2010

Comments

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  • Someone uses this to mean flexible, as in "Should we pain the walls orange or purple?"

    "I'm ambidextrous"

    It kind of grows on a person. . .

    June 14, 2007

  • So you use it to mean ambivalent?

    June 15, 2007

  • Fraid so. Well, I don't but I know someone who does.

    June 15, 2007

  • (ox) I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous.

    January 24, 2008

  • I'd give both arms to be ambidextrous.

    January 24, 2008

  • :-)

    January 24, 2008

  • Credit belongs to Yogi Berra, I believe.

    January 25, 2008

  • Doesn't it always?

    January 25, 2008

  • Quite.

    January 25, 2008

  • Ambidextrous is ambidextrous. The first half of the word is from the left half of the alphabet; the second half from the right half.

    January 1, 2010