handed

The word “handed” means having a specified number or kind of hands, especially used in compounds like left-handed or right-handed.

“Handed” is pronounced HAN-dihd (/ˈhændəd/ in IPA).

Here is “handed” used in a sentence: “He's left-handed, so he writes at an angle.”

“Handed” is an adjective.

“Handed” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Handed” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: having a specified number or kind of hands, especially used in compounds like left-handed or right-handed.

Here '-handed' shows which hand a person favors or how hands are involved. 'Left-handed' means preferring the left hand for tasks like writing; 'right-handed' means preferring the right. The ending attaches to a describing word to say something about a person's hands or how they use them.

Besides 'left-handed' and 'right-handed,' common examples include 'two-handed' (needing both hands), 'empty-handed' (carrying nothing), 'heavy-handed' (harsh or clumsy), 'even-handed' (fair), and 'single-handed' (done alone). In each, 'handed' combines with another word to describe how hands are used, literally or figuratively.

Hand preference is partly inherited but not fully determined by genes. Most people — about nine in ten — are right-handed, and left-handedness tends to run in families. Scientists believe a mix of genetic and developmental factors shapes which hand becomes dominant, though no single 'handedness gene' explains it.