sinistrorse

adjective

sinis·​trorse
¦sinə̇¦strȯ(ə)rs,
sə̇ˈniˌs-
variants or less commonly sinistrorsal
¦sinə̇¦strȯrsəl
1
of a plant : twining spirally upward around an axis from right to left:
a
: twining counterclockwise when the observer's point of view is within or above the spiral
b
: twining clockwise when the observer's point of view is outside the spiral compare dextrorse
2
sinistrorsely
-slē
adverb
or less commonly sinistrorsally
-səlē

Word History

Etymology

sinistrorse from New Latin sinistrorsus, from Latin sinistrorsum, sinistrorsus toward the left side, from sinistr-, sinister left, on the left side + versus, past participle of vertere to turn; sinistrorsal from New Latin sinistrorsus + English -al

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Cite this Entry

“Sinistrorse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sinistrorse. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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