n. [ Gr. &unr_; colorless + E. dextrin. ] (Physiol. Chem.) Dextrin not colorable by iodine. See Dextrin. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ LL., fr. L. ambo both + dexter right, dextra (sc. manus) the right hand. ] Using both hands with equal ease. Smollett. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A person who uses both hands with equal facility. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence: A double-dealer; one equally ready to act on either side in party disputes. [ 1913 Webster ]

The rest are hypocrites, ambidexters, so many turning pictures -- a lion on one side, a lamb on the other. Burton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Law) A juror who takes money from both parties for giving his verdict. Cowell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The quality of being ambidextrous; the faculty of using both hands with equal facility. Hence: Versatility; general readiness; as, ambidexterity of argumentation. Sterne. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ignorant I was of the human frame, and of its latent powers, as regarded speed, force, and ambidexterity. De Quincey. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Double-dealing. (Law) A juror's taking of money from the both parties for a verdict. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining equally to the right-hand side and the left-hand side. Earle. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Having the faculty of using both hands with equal ease. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Practicing or siding with both parties. [ 1913 Webster ]

All false, shuffling, and ambidextrous dealings. L'Estrange. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an ambidextrous manner; cunningly. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being ambidextrous; ambidexterity. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. L. Caudices E. Caudexes [ L. ] (Bot.) The stem of a tree., esp. a stem without a branch, as of a palm or a tree fern; also, the perennial rootstock of an herbaceous plant. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Codices [ L. See Code. ] 1. A book, especially an early form of book with pages stitched together, contrasting with the earlier scrolls; a manuscript; as, a DaVinci codex. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A collection or digest of laws; a code(senses 2 or 4). [ archaic ] Burrill. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An ancient manuscript of the Sacred Scriptures, or any part of them, particularly the New Testament. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A collection of canons. Shipley. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An index of the cost of all goods and services to a typical consumer, calculated and published by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics; abbreviated CPI, and usually referred to by that acronym. The Bureau maintains several indices for different groups of consumers, but the most commonly referred to is the index for “All urban consumers”, called the CPI-U. The increase of this value each year is one measure of monetary inflation.
Syn. -- CPI, cost-of-living index. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

☞ For a table of values from the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the CPI over time, see CPI-U from 1913 to 1998. [ PJC ]

n. a reference at one place in a work to information at another place in the same work.
Syn. -- cross-reference. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. to provide cross-references in (a book or other document).
Syn. -- cross-reference. [ PJC ]

n. a corticosteroid drug used to treat allergies or inflammation. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. an isomer of amphetamine used as a central nervous system stimulant (Dexedrine is a trademark).
Syn. -- dextroamphetamine sulphate. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ L., ; akin to Gr. &unr_;, &unr_;, Skr. dakshi&nsdot_;a (cf. daksh to be strong, suit); Goth. taihswa, OHG. zeso. Cf. Dexterous. ] 1. Pertaining to, or situated on, the right hand; right, as opposed to sinister, or left. [ 1913 Webster ]

On sounding wings a dexter eagle flew. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Her.) On the right-hand side of a shield, i. e., towards the right hand of its wearer. To a spectator in front, as in a pictorial representation, this would be the left side. [ 1913 Webster ]

Dexter chief, or
Dexter point (Her.), a point in the dexter upper corner of the shield, being in the dexter extremity of the chief, as A in the cut. --
Dexter base, a point in the dexter lower part or base of the shield, as B in the cut. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Prob. so named after the original breeder. ] One of a breed of small hardy cattle originating from the Kerry breed of Ireland, valuable both for beef and milk. They are usually chiefly black, sometimes red, and somewhat resemble a small shorthorn in build. Called also Dexter Kerry. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. Dexterous. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. dexteritas, fr. dexter: cf. F. dextérité. See Dexter. ] 1. Right-handedness. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Readiness and grace in physical activity; skill and ease in using the hands; expertness in manual acts; as, dexterity with the chisel. [ 1913 Webster ]

In youth quick bearing and dexterity. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Readiness in the use or control of the mental powers; quickness and skill in managing any complicated or difficult affair; adroitness. [ 1913 Webster ]

His wisdom . . . was turned . . . into a dexterity to deliver himself. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

He had conducted his own defense with singular boldness and dexterity. Hallam.

Syn. -- Adroitness; activity; nimbleness; expertness; skill; cleverness; art; ability; address; tact; facility; aptness; aptitude; faculty. See Skill. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. dexter. See Dexter. ] [ Written also dextrous. ] 1. Ready and expert in the use of the body and limbs; skillful and active with the hands; handy; ready; as, a dexterous hand; a dexterous workman. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Skillful in contrivance; quick at inventing expedients; expert; as, a dexterous manager. [ 1913 Webster ]

Dexterous the craving, fawning crowd to quit. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Done with dexterity; skillful; artful; as, dexterous management. “Dexterous sleights of hand.” Trench.

Syn. -- Adroit; active; expert; skillful; clever; able; ready; apt; handy; versed. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a dexterous manner; skillfully. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being dexterous; dexterity. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. [ L. dextra the right hand + ad to. ] (Anat.) Toward the right side; dextrally. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ From Dexter. ] Right, as opposed to sinistral, or left. [ 1913 Webster ]

Dextral shell (Zool.), a spiral shell the whorls of which turn from left right, or like the hands of a watch when the apex of the spire is toward the eye of the observer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being on the right-hand side; also, the quality of being right-handed; right-handedness. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Towards the right; as, the hands of a watch rotate dextrally. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ , n. [ OF. destrier, fr. L. dextra on the right side. The squire led his master's horse beside him, on his right hand. Skeat. ] A war horse. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A war horse; a destrer. [ Obs. ] “By him baiteth his dextrer.” Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. dextrine, G. dextrin. See Dexter. ] (Chem.) A translucent, gummy, amorphous substance, nearly tasteless and odorless, used as a substitute for gum, for sizing, etc., and obtained from starch by the action of heat, acids, or diastase. It is of somewhat variable composition, containing several carbohydrates which change easily to their respective varieties of sugar. It is so named from its rotating the plane of polarization to the right; -- called also British gum, Alsace gum, gommelin, leiocome, etc. See Achroodextrin, and Erythrodextrin. [ 1913 Webster ]

A prefix, from L. dexter, meaning, pertaining to, or toward, the right; (Chem. & Opt.) having the property of turning the plane of polarized light to the right; as, dextrotartaric acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Physics & Chem.) See Dextrogyrate. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Dextro- + glucose. ] (Chem.) Same as Dextrose. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Dextro- + gyrate. ] (Chem. & Opt.) Same as Dextrorotatory. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, or derived from, dextrose; as, dextronic acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

Dextronic acid, a sirupy substance obtained by the partial oxidation of various carbohydrates, as dextrose, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Physics & Chem.) See Dextrotatory. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Dextro- + rotatory. ] (Chem. & Opt.) Turning, or causing to turn, toward the right hand; esp., turning the plane of polarization of luminous rays toward the right hand; as, dextrorotatory crystals, sugars, etc. Cf. Levorotatory.

{ } a. [ L. dextrorsum, contr. fr. dextrovorsum, dextroversum, toward the right side; dexter right + versus, vorsus, p. p. of vertere, vortere, to turn. ] (Botany) Turning from the left to the right, in the ascending line, as in the spiral inclination of the stem of the common morning-glory; as, dextrorse vines. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ At present scientists predicate dextrorse or sinistrorse quality of the plant regarded objectively; formerly the plant was regarded subjectively, and what is now called dextrorse was then considered sinistrorse. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Dexter. ] (Chem.) A sirupy, or white crystalline, variety of sugar, C6H12O6 (so called from turning the plane of polarization to the right), occurring in many ripe fruits, and also called glucose. Dextrose and levulose are obtained by the inversion of cane sugar or sucrose, and hence the mixture is called called invert sugar. Dextrose is chiefly obtained by the action of heat and acids on starch, and hence called also starch sugar. It is also formed from starchy food by the action of the amylolytic ferments of saliva and pancreatic juice. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The solid products are known to the trade as grape sugar; the sirupy products as glucose, or mixing sirup. These are harmless, but are only about half as sweet as cane sugar or sucrose.

a., adv., n. Same as Dexterous, Dexterously, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Finance) an index of certain stock prices on the New York Stock Exchange, computed by the Dow Jones publishing company as a weighted average of the prices of specific stocks in certain categories. Three indices are maintained, the Industrials, the Transportations, and the Utilities. When used without qualification, the term usually refers to the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
Syn. -- Dow, Dow Jones, Dow-Jones Average. [ PJC ]

n. [ Gr. 'eryqro`s red + E. dextrin. ] (Physiol. Chem.) A dextrin which gives a red color with iodine. See Dextrin. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. E. Indexes L. Indices &unr_;). [ L.: cf. F. index. See Indicate, Diction. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. That which points out; that which shows, indicates, manifests, or discloses; as, the increasing unemployment rate is an index of how much the economy has slowed. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

Tastes are the indexes of the different qualities of plants. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which guides, points out, informs, or directs; a pointer or a hand that directs to anything, as the hand of a watch, a movable finger or other form of pointer on a gauge, scale, or other graduated instrument. In (printing), a sign [ ☞ ] (called also fist) used to direct particular attention to a note or paragraph. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A table for facilitating reference to topics, names, and the like, in a book, usually giving the page on which a particular word or topic may be found; -- usually alphabetical in arrangement, and printed at the end of the volume. Typically found only in non-fiction books. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

4. A prologue indicating what follows. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Anat.) The second finger, that next to the pollex (thumb), in the manus, or hand; the forefinger; index finger. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Math.) The figure or letter which shows the power or root of a quantity; the exponent. [ In this sense the plural is always indices. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

7. The ratio, or formula expressing the ratio, of one dimension of a thing to another dimension; as, the vertical index of the cranium. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

8. A number providing a measure of some quantity derived by a formula, usually a form of averaging, from multiple quantities; -- used mostly in economics; as, the index of leading indicators; the index of industrial production; the consumer price index. See, for example, the consumer price index. [ PJC ]

9. (computers) A file containing a table with the addresses of data items, arranged for rapid and convenient search for the addresses. [ PJC ]

10. (computers) A number which serves as a label for a data item and also represents the address of a data item within a table or array. [ PJC ]

11. (R. C. Ch.), The Index prohibitorius, a catalogue of books which are forbidden by the church to be read; also called Index of forbidden books and Index Librorum Prohibitorum. [ PJC ]

Index error, the error in the reading of a mathematical instrument arising from the zero of the index not being in complete adjustment with that of the limb, or with its theoretically perfect position in the instrument; a correction to be applied to the instrument readings equal to the error of the zero adjustment. --
Index expurgatorius. [ L. ] See Index prohibitorius (below). --
Index finger. See Index, 5. --
Index glass, the mirror on the index of a quadrant, sextant, etc. --
Index hand, the pointer or hand of a clock, watch, or other registering machine; a hand that points to something. --
Index of a logarithm (Math.), the integral part of the logarithm, and always one less than the number of integral figures in the given number. It is also called the characteristic. --
Index of refraction, or
Refractive index (Opt.), the number which expresses the ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of refraction. Thus the index of refraction for sulphur is 2, because, when light passes out of air into sulphur, the sine of the angle of incidence is double the sine of the angle of refraction. --
Index plate, a graduated circular plate, or one with circular rows of holes differently spaced; used in machines for graduating circles, cutting gear teeth, etc. --
Index prohibitorius [ L. ], or
Prohibitory index (R. C. Ch.), a catalogue of books which are forbidden by the church to be read; the index expurgatorius [ L. ], or expurgatory index, is a catalogue of books from which passages marked as against faith or morals must be removed before Catholics can read them. These catalogues are published with additions, from time to time, by the Congregation of the Index, composed of cardinals, theologians, etc., under the sanction of the pope. Hook. --
Index rerum [ L. ], a tabulated and alphabetized notebook, for systematic preservation of items, quotations, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Indexed p. pr. & vb. n. Indexing. ] 1. To provide with an index or table of references; to put into an index; as, to index a book, or its contents. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Economics) To adjust (wages, prices, taxes, etc.) automatically so as to compensate for changes in prices, usually as measured by the consumer price index or other economic measure. Its purpose is usually to copensate for inflation. [ PJC ]

3. To insert (a word, name, file folder, etc.) into an index or into an indexed arrangement; as, to index a contract under its date of signing. [ PJC ]

n. a system of economic regulation in which wages and interest are tied to the cost-of-living index in order to compenaste for the effects of inflation. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. One who makes an index. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of, pertaining to, or like, an index; having the form of an index. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In the manner of an index. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pref. in- not + dexterity: cf. F. indextérité. ] Lack of dexterity or readiness, especially in the use of the hands; clumsiness; awkwardness. Harvey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Adroitness in using the hands. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ Trade Mark of Newell Office Products. ] A trade name for a type of card file; as, a Rolodex(R) card file. Also used informally and improperly as a noun meaning Rolodex(R) card file. [ PJC ]