left

left¹ (l

ft)

adj.

a. Of, belonging to, located on, or being the side of the body to the north when the subject is facing east.

b. Of, relating to, directed toward, or located on the left side.

c. Located on the left side of a person facing downstream: the left bank of a river.

2. often Left Of or belonging to the political or intellectual left.

a. The direction or position on the left side.

b. The left side.

c. The left hand.

d. A turn in the direction of the left hand or side.

2. often Left

a. The people and groups who advocate liberal, often radical measures to effect change in the established order, especially in politics, usually to achieve the equality, freedom, and well-being of the common citizens of a state. Also called left wing.

b. The opinion of those advocating such measures.

3. Sports A blow delivered by a boxer's left hand.

4. Baseball Left field.

adv.

Toward or on the left.

[Middle English, from Old English lyft-, weak, useless (in lyftdl, paralysis).]

left² (l

ft)

Past tense and past participle of leave¹.

left ¹

Adjective

1. denoting the side of something or someone that faces west when the front is turned towards the north

2. on the left side of the body: I grabbed it with my left hand

3. liberal, radical, or socialist

Adverb

on or in the direction of the left

Noun

1. a left side, direction, position, area, or part

2. the left the people in a political party or society who have more socialist or liberal views: the biggest party of the French Left

3. Boxing

a. a blow with the left hand

b. the left hand [Old English: idle, weak]

left ²

Verb

the past of leave¹

Left

See also right.

levoduction

motion or a tendency to move to the left, as the motion of the eye.

levorotation

rotation toward the left; counterclockwise rotation, a characteristic of the plane of polarization of light. — levorotatory, adj.

levoversion

the state or process of turning to the left.

sinistrality

the state or quality of being left-handed or oriented towards the left in other ways, as a shell with counterclockwise spirals. Also sinistration. — sinistral, adj.

sinistrogyration

levorotation. Also called levogyration. — sinistrogyric, adj.

ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Noun	1.	left - location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east; "she stood on the left" position, place - the particular portion of space occupied by something; "he put the lamp back in its place" left stage, stage left - the part of the stage on the actor's left as the actor faces the audience right - location near or direction toward the right side; i.e. the side to the south when a person or object faces east; "he stood on the right"
	2.	left - those who support varying degrees of social or political or economic change designed to promote the public welfare left wing faction, sect - a dissenting clique
	3.	left - the hand that is on the left side of the body; "jab with your left" left hand hand, manus, mitt, paw - the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb; "he had the hands of a surgeon"; "he extended his mitt"
	4.	left - the piece of ground in the outfield on the catcher's left; "the batter flied out to left" left field, leftfield outfield - the area of a baseball playing field beyond the lines connecting the bases parcel of land, piece of ground, piece of land, tract, parcel - an extended area of land
	5.	left - a turn toward the side of the body that is on the north when the person is facing east; "take a left at the corner" turning, turn - the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course; "he took a turn to the right"
Adj.	1.	left - being or located on or directed toward the side of the body to the west when facing north; "my left hand"; "left center field"; "the left bank of a river is bank on your left side when you are facing downstream" left-handed - using or intended for the left hand; "left-handed golfers need left-handed clubs"; "left-handed scissors" right - being or located on or directed toward the side of the body to the east when facing north; "my right hand"; "right center field"; "a right-hand turn"; "the right bank of a river is the bank on your right side when you are facing downstream"
	2.	left - not used up; "leftover meatloaf"; "she had a little money left over so she went to a movie"; "some odd dollars left"; "saved the remaining sandwiches for supper"; "unexpended provisions" left over, leftover, remaining, unexpended, odd unexhausted - not used up completely; "an unexhausted well"
	3.	left - intended for the left hand; "I rarely lose a left-hand glove" left-hand left-handed - using or intended for the left hand; "left-handed golfers need left-handed clubs"; "left-handed scissors"
	4.	left - of or belonging to the political or intellectual left socialist, socialistic - advocating or following the socialist principles; "socialistic government" liberal - tolerant of change; not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or tradition center - of or belonging to neither the right nor the left politically or intellectually right - of or belonging to the political or intellectual right
Adv.	1.	left - toward or on the left; also used figuratively; "he looked right and left"; "the political party has moved left" right - toward or on the right; also used figuratively; "he looked right and left"; "the party has moved right"