handedness
noun
hand·ed·ness
ˈhan-dəd-nəs 
1
: a tendency to use one hand rather than the other
2
a
: the property of an object (such as a molecule) of not being identical with its mirror image : chirality
b
: either of the two configurations of an object that may exist in forms which are nonidentical mirror images
Examples of handedness in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Like how your left glove fits only your left hand and your right glove your right hand, chiral molecules can interact only with other molecules of compatible handedness.
—
Kate Adamala, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2025
His right handedness helps balance out a Red Sox lineup largely headlined by left-handed hitters, including Rafael Devers, Jarren Duran, Triston Casas and Masataka Yoshida.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 13 Feb. 2025
Skeletons recovered from Henry VIII’s flagship Mary Rose suggest that handedness affects collar-bone chemistry and fracture risk.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
Los Angeles Rams safety Kam Curl, who prepared for Tagovailoa and the Dolphins in 2023 while with the Washington Commanders, said the biggest in-the-moment adjustment a defense needed to make against Tagovailoa’s handedness came when the Dolphins ran a true quick game.
—Jourdan Rodrigue, The Athletic, 9 Aug. 2024
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Kate Adamala, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2025
His right handedness helps balance out a Red Sox lineup largely headlined by left-handed hitters, including Rafael Devers, Jarren Duran, Triston Casas and Masataka Yoshida.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 13 Feb. 2025
Skeletons recovered from Henry VIII’s flagship Mary Rose suggest that handedness affects collar-bone chemistry and fracture risk.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
Los Angeles Rams safety Kam Curl, who prepared for Tagovailoa and the Dolphins in 2023 while with the Washington Commanders, said the biggest in-the-moment adjustment a defense needed to make against Tagovailoa’s handedness came when the Dolphins ran a true quick game.
—Jourdan Rodrigue, The Athletic, 9 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for handedness
Cite this Entry
“Handedness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/handedness. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
handedness
noun
hand·ed·ness
-nəs
1
: a tendency to use one hand rather than the other
2
: the property of an object (as a molecule) of not being identical with its mirror image
3
: the property of having either a clockwise or counterclockwise motion (as the corkscrew movement of some microorganisms or their flagella or cilia)
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