southpaw
noun
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Southpaw is of obscure origin. A popular theory holds that it comes from the onetime position of ballparks in relation to the sun. Supposedly, late 19th-century ballparks were laid out so that the pitcher looked in a westerly direction when facing the batter. The throwing arm of a left-handed pitcher would then be to the south-hence the name southpaw. This theory of its origin is undermined, however, by the fact that the original use of southpaw does not involve baseball at all. Rather, the term was used as early as 1848 to describe, simply, the left hand or a punch or blow given with the left hand. Today, we often use southpaw as a good-natured term for a left-handed person, but the word is sometimes viewed as stigmatizing by left-handed people.
Examples of southpaw in a Sentence
Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2024
Obtained from Boston for infield prospect Vaughn Grissom, the 34-year-old southpaw has become baseball’s best starter again.
—Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 15 Sep. 2024
Snell no-hit the Braves for six innings and Sale lasted an inning longer than the Giants’ southpaw.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2024
After making a spot start in Baltimore on Monday, the southpaw returned to Norfolk and tossed seven innings of one-run baseball Sunday against the Charlotte Knights.
—Matt Weyrich, Baltimore Sun, 6 Aug. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Southpaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southpaw. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.
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southpaw
noun
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