Word
dexterity
Phoneticsdex·ter·i·ty
US/dɛkˈstɛɹəti/
UK/dɛkstˈɛɹɪti/
Definition
n. the ability to move your hands or body skillfully. It can also mean being quick and clever with your mind.
n. skill and grace in physical movement, especially the use of the hands; by extension, mental adroitness or cleverness.
Examples
“Playing the piano requires great finger dexterity.”
“The surgeon's manual dexterity allowed her to perform the delicate operation with minimal scarring to the patient.”
“While the job requires significant physical dexterity to assemble the microchips, it also demands the mental flexibility to troubleshoot software errors on the fly.”
Examples
simple
“Playing the piano requires great finger dexterity.”
contextual
“The surgeon's manual dexterity allowed her to perform the delicate operation with minimal scarring to the patient.”
complex
“While the job requires significant physical dexterity to assemble the microchips, it also demands the mental flexibility to troubleshoot software errors on the fly.”
Usage
Often paired with 'manual' to specify physical skill or 'mental' for cognitive quickness.
Real-World Examples
“Kalhath’s co-founder Mohammed Amine Dadda tells me that Indian craftsmanship’s defining quality is “intelligence of the hand” – a sensitive, slow and cumulative process underpinned by patience and dexterity.” “The stuff that humans are really good at, like fine dexterity, is really hard in robots," Storey says.” Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French dextérité, from Latin dexteritas, from dexter (“on the right”), this is in reference to most people having greater fine motor skills in their right hand. Partially displaced native Old English handcræft, whence Modern English handcraft.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/dexterity