Dexterous means neat and skilful in handling things. Dexterous fingers, a dexterous move, dexterous with a knife.
It is also spelled dextrous, and both are correct. The Latin means on the right, from the old assumption that the right hand is the capable one, which is the same idea that made sinister mean left.
1adjectivedexterousNeat and skilful in handling things.
“With dexterous fingers, the old woman threaded the needle in seconds.”
dexterous is a quality.
Also accepted in games: dextrous
Latin dexter means on the right, from the assumption that the right hand is the skilled one.
Proto-Indo-European
*deḱs-
English, today
dexterous
From dexter + -ous. From dexter + ous. Displaced native handcræftiġ.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA