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

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