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
Cbs Chicago Team, CBS News, 22 Dec. 2025
Moyer, an affable southpaw who didn’t throw very hard – or even especially deceptively – but managed a 25-year big-league career, holds the distinction of being the oldest pitcher to record a win in Major League Baseball.
—Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 21 Dec. 2025
The southpaw is in his final year under team control, set to make around $7 million in arbitration, according to MLB Trade Rumors.
—Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
Over two seasons with the Braves, the former Sox southpaw is 25-8 with a 2.46 ERA in 50 games.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for southpaw
Cite this Entry
“Southpaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southpaw. Accessed 5 Jan. 2026.
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southpaw
noun
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