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Wanting dexterity in the use of the hands, or of instruments; not dexterous; without skill; clumsy; wanting ease, grace, or effectiveness in movement; ungraceful; as, he was awkward at a trick; an awkward boy. And dropped an awkward courtesy. Dryden.

containing a third or a fifth part of the field. It crosses the field diagonally from the dexter chief to the sinister base. Bend sinister (Her.), an honorable ordinary drawn from the sinister chief to the dexter base.

A division of a shield occupying one third part of the chief, usually on the dexter side, formed by a perpendicular line from the top of the shield, meeting a horizontal line from the side. The king gave us the arms of England to be borne in a canton in our arms. Evelyn.

es, consisting of two broad bands of the width of the bar, issuing, respectively from the dexter and sinister bases of the field and conjoined at its center.

The upper third part of the field. It is supposed to be composed of the dexter, sinister, and middle chiefs. In chief. (a) At the head; as, a commander in chief. (b) (Eng. Law) From the king, or sovereign; as, tenure in chief, tenure directly from the king.

The qualifications or character of knights, as valor, dexterity in arms, courtesy, etc. The glory of our Troy this day doth lie On his fair worth and single chivalry. Shak.

Free from awkwardness; not bungling; adroit; dexterous; as, aclean trick; a clean leap over a fence.

Adroit; skillful; dexterous; artful. [Obs.] Through his fine handling and his cleanly play. Spenser.

Possessing quickness of intellect, skill, dexterity, talent, or adroitness; expert. Though there were many clever men in England during the latter half of the seventeenth century, there were only two great creative minds. Macaulay. Be good, sweet maid, and let who will be clever. C. Kingsley.

The quality of being clever; skill; dexterity; adroitness.

Without skill or grace; wanting dexterity, nimbleness, or readiness; stiff; awkward, as if benumbed; unwieldy; unhandy; hence; ill-made, misshapen, or inappropriate; as, a clumsy person; a clumsy workman; clumsy fingers; a clumsy gesture; a clumsy excuse. But thou in clumsy verse, unlicked, unpointed, Hast shamefully d…

the usual one; -- said of an animal turned to the sinister which is usually turned to the dexter, or the like.

Art or skill; dexterity in particular manual employment; hence, the occupation or employment itself; manual art; a trade. Ye know that by this craft we have our wealth. Acts xix. 25. A poem is the work of the poet; poesy is his skill or craft of making. B. Jonson. Since the birth of time, throughout all ages and nation…

Dexterity in devising and effecting a purpose; cunning; artifice; stratagem. He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. Job. v. 13.

Relating to, or characterized by, craft or skill; dexterous. [Obs.] "Crafty work." Piers Plowman.

Knowing; skillfull; dexterous. "A cunning workman." Ex. xxxviii. 23. "Tis beauty truly blent, whose red and white Nature's own sweet and cunning hand laid on. Shak. Esau was a cunning hunter. Gen xxv. 27.

Apt; fit; dexterous; clever; handy; spruce; neat. [Archaic or Poetic] "The deftest way." Shak. "Deftest feats." Gay. The limping god, do deft at his new ministry. Dryden. Let me be deft and debonair. Byron.

Aptly; fitly; dexterously; neatly. "Deftly dancing." Drayton. Thyself and office deftly show. Shak.

A prefix, from L. dexter, meaning, pertaining to, or toward, the right; (Chem. & Opt.)

Same as Dexterous, Dexterously, etc.