adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective (nominative masculine singular in -er; two different stems)
dexter
dexter (feminine dextra or dextera, neuter dextrum or dexterum, comparative dexterior, superlative dextimus)
Classical[ˈdɛk.stɛr]Ecclesiastical[ˈdɛk.ster]
№ 260 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- adjectiveright (relative direction), right hand
- adjectiveskillful
“‘[...] Sī Pergama dextrā
[Aeneas dreams of Hector, who tells him to flee, not fight:] “‘If Trojan [towers] could have been defended by [any] skillful [hand], [then] certainly by this [hand of mine] they would have been able to be defended.’”29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 2.291–292 - adjectivefortunate, favorable
- adjectiveproper, fitting
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
manus dextra apud multōs fortior est.dexter -tra -trum — in Mille Verba, Corpus Hūmānum
ad manum dextramdexter -tra -trum — in Evangelium secundum Marcum, ch. 16, 22
right (hand)
dexter -tra -trum — in Viri Romae Facillimi, ch. 4, 11
Declension
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | dexter | dextra dextera | dextrum dexterum |
| genitive | dextrī dexterī | dextrae dexterae | dextrī dexterī |
| dative | dextrō dexterō | dextrae dexterae | dextrō dexterō |
| accusative | dextrum dexterum | dextram dexteram | dextrum dexterum |
| ablative | dextrō dexterō | dextrā dexterā | dextrō dexterō |
| vocative | dexter | dextra dextera | dextrum dexterum |
| form | masculine | feminine | neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | dextrī dexterī | dextrae dexterae | dextra dextera |
| genitive | dextrōrum dexterōrum | dextrārum dexterārum | dextrōrum dexterōrum |
| dative | dextrīs dexterīs | dextrīs dexterīs | dextrīs dexterīs |
| accusative | dextrōs dexterōs | dextrās dexterās | dextra dextera |
| ablative | dextrīs dexterīs | dextrīs dexterīs | dextrīs dexterīs |
| vocative | dextrī dexterī | dextrae dexterae | dextra dextera |
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- dextram alicui porrigere, dare
- to give one's right hand to some one.
- manum (dextram) alicui porrigere
- to give one's hand to some one.
- dextram iungere cum aliquo, dextras inter se iungere
- to shake hands with a person.
dexter, tĕra, tĕrum, and more freq. tra, trum (
I. dat. plur. fem.: dextrabus manibus, Liv. Andron. ap. Non. 493, 20.—Comp. dextĕrĭor; sup. dextĭmus), adj. dex-ter, root dek-, Gr. δέκομαι, whence δάκτυλος, digitus; cf. Germ. Finger, from fangen; cf. also Sanscr. dakshinas, on the right hand, and Gr. δεξ-ιός, to the right, on the right side, right (opp. laevus, sinister).
I. Prop.:
ut ante oculos fuerit qui dexter hic idem nunc sit laevus, Lucr. 4, 302: manus, Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 49; 50; id. Capt. 2, 3, 82; Cic. Div. 1, 23, 46: pars membrorum (opp. laeva), Lucr. 4, 293: umeri, Caes. B. G. 7, 50, 2: latus, Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 6; Ov. M. 13, 730 et saep.: cornu, Ter. Eun. 4, 7, 5; Caes. B. G. 1, 52, 2; 2, 23, 4 et saep.: ala, Liv. 31, 21: acies, id. 27, 48 et saep.: dextrarum tibiarum genus est, quae dextra tenentur, Paul. ex Fest. p. 74, 5 Müll. et saep.: dextra ejus (fluminis) accolunt Deximontani, Plin. 6, 23, 26, § 99.—Comp. in signification = dexter, but spoken of two only: in dexteriore parte, opp. sinisteriore, Varr. L. L. 9, § 34 Müll.; so, pars, opp. laeva, Ov. M. 7, 241: rota, opp. sinisterior, id. ib. 2, 138: armus, id. ib. 12, 303: umerus, Suet. Claud. 7: latus, id. Galb. 21: cornu, Galba ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 30, 3 et saep.—Sup.: dextimus, a, um, an ancient and rare form, in signif. i. q. dexter: dextima via, Varr. ap. Non. 94, 30: apud dextimos, Sall. J. 100, 2.—II. Trop. (perh. not in ante-Aug. prose).
1. Handy, dexterous, skilful; opportune, proper, suitable, fitting:
rem ita dexter egit, ut, etc., Liv. 8, 36: et Marius scriptis dexter in omne genus, Ov. Pont. 4, 16, 24: quis rebus dexter modus, Verg. A. 4, 294: tempus, Hor. S. 2, 1, 18.—2. (Since the Greeks regarded an omen on the right as favorable) favorable, propitious, fortunate: dextra auspicia prospera, Paul. ex Fest. p. 74, 4 Müll.; cf.
omen, Val. Fl. 1, 245: dexter adi, Verg. A. 8, 302; cf.: dexter ac volens assit (numen), Quint. 4 prooem. 5: Jove, Pers. 5, 114: sidere, Stat. S. 3, 4, 63 et saep.—Hence,Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
dexter tera, terum, and tra, trum, adj.
with comp. dexterior and sup. dextimus, to the right, on the right side, right (opp. laevus, sinister): manus: umeri, Cs.: latus, H.: hostium, Cs.: cornum, T.: cornu, Cs.: acies, L.: dextris adducor litora remis, rowing to the right, O.: Quo tantum dexter abis? so far to the right, V.: Lyncea dexter Occupat, on the right, V.: Dextera Sigaei ara est sacrata, on the right, O.: dexteriore parte, O.: Neu te dexterior (rota) declinet, O.: apud dextimos, on the extreme right, S.—Handy, dexterous, skilful, opportune, suitable: Marius scripti dexter in omne genus, O.: quīs rebus dexter modus, V.: tempus, H.—Of good omen, favorable, propitious: dexter stetit, H.: dexter adi, V.: tempus, H.
Origins
From Proto-Italic *deksteros, from Proto-Indo-European *deḱs-tero-s, from *deḱs- (“right”). Cognate with Ancient Greek δεξιτερός (dexiterós), and compare δεξιός (dexiós), Old High German zesawa (“right hand, right hand side”), Sanskrit दक्षिण (dákṣiṇa), Old Church Slavonic деснъ (desnŭ, “right”).
Descendants
- Catalandestre
- Englishdexter
- Frenchdêtre
- Frenchdestre
- Frenchdextre
- GermanDextrose
- Italiandestro
- Occitandèstre
- Portuguesedestrofrom Old Galician-Portuguese destro
- Spanishdiestrofrom Old Spanish diestro