southpaw
noun
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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
Gabe Smallson, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
That puts a heavy burden on Milwaukee’s primary southpaw relievers, Aaron Ashby and Jared Koenig.
—Andy McCullough, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
But facing one of baseball’s toughest southpaws on Friday, Duran uncorked arguably the biggest swing of the season.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 19 Sep. 2025
Kershaw is the fourth southpaw to notch 3,000 Ks, joining Steve Carlton, Randy Johnson and CC Sabathia.
—Tom Tapp, Deadline, 18 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Southpaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southpaw. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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southpaw
noun
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