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left¹ Definition

left (left)

adjective

    1. designating or of that side of one's body which is toward the west when one faces north, the side of the less-used hand in most people
    2. designating or of the corresponding side of anything
    3. closer to the left side of a person directly before and facing the thing mentioned or understood the top left drawer of a desk
  1. of the side or bank of a river on the left of a person facing downstream
  2. of the political left; liberal or radical

Etymology: ME (Kentish) var. of lift < OE lyft, weak, akin to EFris luf, weak

noun

    1. all or part of the left side
    2. what is on the left side
    3. a direction or location on the left side: often with the
    4. a turn toward the left side
  1. Baseball left field
  2. Boxing
    1. the left hand
    2. a blow delivered with the left hand
  3. Politics a liberal or radical position, esp. one varying from moderate socialism to communism, or a party or group advocating this: often with the: from the position of the seats occupied in some European legislatures

adverb

on or toward the left hand or side

left¹ Idioms

have two left feet

to be very clumsy

left² Definition

left (left)

transitive verb, intransitive verb

leave

left Synonyms

left

modif.

  1. Opposite to right

    leftward, left-hand, near, sinister, sinistral, sinistrous, larboard, port, portside, nigh side*.

    Antonyms right*, right-hand*, starboard. *

  2. Remaining

    staying, continuing, over; see extra, remaining 2.

  3. Radical

    left-wing, liberal, progressive; see liberal 2, radical 2, revolutionary 1.

  4. Departed

    gone out, taken a powder*, split*; see gone 1. See syn. study at liberal.

left Synonyms

left

n.

left hand, left side, port, larboard, sinister, portside, verso.

left Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • unite: These attempts invariably weaken the Labor left and undermine efforts to unite the left around a common alternative economic and political strategy.
  • turn: Turn right then the next left into Grainger Street.

Preposition: at

roundabout: On exiting the tunnel take the first left at the large roundabout then right at the next roundabout.

Adjective modifier

  • sharp: Go through the village bearing sharp left at junction.
  • upper: Notice the two workers in the upper left of the picture.
  • extreme: In the second picture, I'm standing at the far side of the table and my son is standing on the extreme left.
  • top: The straight edge at the top left shows the Si 110 plane.
  • socialist: It was the only credible national challenge to New Labor from the socialist left.
  • anti-war: Al-Qaeda is also sustained by sections of the anti-war left who provide it with moral and political substance.

Modifies a noun

  • side: Insert the needle into the left hand side of the graft from outside in, 5mm from the graft edge.
  • corner: Place the image against the top left corner of the scanner.
  • wing: Four parallel vertical grooves on bottom left wing; 3 parallel oblique grooves on right wing.
  • leg: All the outside of his left leg looks like someone did im over with a cheese grater.
  • button: Press the left mouse button near the object to be moved.
  • shoulder: Subtle, gray stitched branding logo on back of left shoulder.

Noun used with modifier

turn: Take the 1st exit at the roundabout and then the immediate turn left which leads onto Oxford Street.

Possessives

fake: For example, the SWP became the fattest of the fake ' lefts ' via decades of the most reactionary anti-Soviet opportunism.

Preposition: of

  • midfield: From his position wide on the left of midfield, Stuart Elliott contributed 29 league and cup goals.
  • screen: Look at ' Note taking ' in ' Writing Skills ' in the menu to the left of the screen.
  • entrance: Continued clearing at to left of entrance to terminal dig passage.

Browse dictionary entries near left

  1. leeway
  2. Leeward Islands
  3. leeward
  4. Leeuwenhoek
  5. Leeuwarden
  6. Leetspeak
  7. leet
  8. lees
  9. leery
  10. leer
  1. Left Bank
  2. left brain
  3. left field
  4. left-hand
  5. left-handed
  6. left heart
  7. left out
  8. left wing
  9. leftish
  10. leftist