Southpaw Definition & Meaning

American

British

Usage

Etymology

Examples

Synonyms southpaw American [south-paw] / ˈsaʊθˌpɔ /

noun

1. a person who is left-handed.

2. Sports.

   1. a player who throws with the left hand, especially a pitcher.

   2. Boxing. a boxer who leads with the right hand and stands with the right foot forward, using the left hand for the most powerful blows.

adjective

1. left-handed.

southpaw British / ˈsaʊθˌpɔː /

noun

1. a boxer who leads with his right hand and off his right foot as opposed to the orthodox style of leading with the left

2. any left-handed person

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

1. of or relating to a southpaw

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does southpaw mean? A southpaw is a left-handed person, especially a boxer or baseball pitcher. It is also an adjective meaning “left-handed.”What are other words are related to southpaw:

• pitcher
• boxing
• baseball

Etymology

Origin of southpaw

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; south + paw 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But Benavidez began landing combinations to the head and body with the speed of a lightweight, switching between southpaw and orthodox at will.

From BBC

Velasquez regrouped and used her southpaw jab to good effect in rounds two and three to gain a foothold in the contest.

From BBC

The fighters had previously agreed to dimensions of 20 feet, but Saunders, an elusive southpaw who entered Saturday’s match undefeated, figured the extra space would benefit him.

From New York Times

Oakland faced a sixth straight left-handed starter and saw a southpaw for the eighth time in nine games and 11th in 14.

From Washington Times

Suero, like Harris, has reverse splits, which make him almost a southpaw.

From Washington Post

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.