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
Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2026
Another veteran southpaw, the 35-year-old Perez held the Mets to one earned run on four hits, walked one and struck out four over 5 1/3 innings in the win (5-3).
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 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
The Sox southpaw’s perfect game bid ended when the Yankees loaded the bases with two outs in the fourth on a Paul Goldschmidt leadoff single, one-out single by left-fielder Cody Bellinger and two-out single by Trent Grisham.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 7 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Southpaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southpaw. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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southpaw
noun
