sinistrorse

adjective

sinis·​trorse

¦sinə̇¦strȯ(ə)rs,

sə̇ˈniˌs-

variants or less commonly sinistrorsal

¦sinə̇¦strȯrsəl

1

of a plant : twining spirally upward around an axis from right to left:

a

: twining counterclockwise when the observer's point of view is within or above the spiral

b

: twining clockwise when the observer's point of view is outside the spiral compare dextrorse

2

: sinistral sense c

sinistrorsely

-slē

adverb

or less commonly sinistrorsally

-səlē

Word History

Etymology

sinistrorse from New Latin sinistrorsus, from Latin sinistrorsum, sinistrorsus toward the left side, from sinistr-, sinister left, on the left side + versus, past participle of vertere to turn; sinistrorsal from New Latin sinistrorsus + English -al

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!