southpaw
noun
Did you know?
Southpaw is of obscure origin. A popular theory holds that it comes from the onetime position of ballparks in relation to the sun. Supposedly, late 19th-century ballparks were laid out so that the pitcher looked in a westerly direction when facing the batter. The throwing arm of a left-handed pitcher would then be to the south-hence the name southpaw. This theory of its origin is undermined, however, by the fact that the original use of southpaw does not involve baseball at all. Rather, the term was used as early as 1848 to describe, simply, the left hand or a punch or blow given with the left hand. Today, we often use southpaw as a good-natured term for a left-handed person, but the word is sometimes viewed as stigmatizing by left-handed people.
Examples of southpaw in a Sentence
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
27 June 2026
In Skubal’s third start back from the surgery that removed a loose body from his left elbow, the savvy southpaw had arguably his best stuff of the year.
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Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
25 June 2026
This marks his first big-league season getting to truly be an everyday player, even when a southpaw is on the mound, and the 28-year-old slugger has held his own.
—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
13 June 2026
The freshman southpaw surrendered a pair of singles that was followed up by a ringing double to left center by Mason Lewandoski.
—
Dave Wright,
Twin Cities,
11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for southpaw
Cite this Entry
“Southpaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southpaw. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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southpaw
noun
