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Glite Dictionary
dextrorse

dextrorse

9.9
Twisting upward from left to right, especially in plant stems seen from below
  • adjective
  • /ˈdɛkstrɔrs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : dextrorso
  • Many morning glory plants have dextrorse stems that twist from left to right as they grow.

Examples

  • The botanist noted the dextrorse coiling of the vine as it climbed the trellis.

  • Certain climbing plants can be identified by their dextrorse or sinistrorse twining direction.

  • The dextrorse vine climbed the trellis beautifully.

  • Can you identify a dextrorse plant in the garden?

  • Many morning glory plants have dextrorse stems that twist from left to right as they grow.

  • The botanist noted the dextrorse coiling of the vine as it climbed the trellis.

  • Can you identify a dextrorse plant in the garden?

Synonyms

dextral
vsdextrorse
  • Specialized
1 8.8

On the right side or turning to the right, like a shell

describes a spiral rising from left to right rather than a simple side orientation
dextrorsal
vsdextrorse
  • Specialized
9.9

A spiral that turns upward or outward to the right, like vines and shells

focuses specifically on spirals that rise upward rather than also moving outward

Surface Forms

dextrorse positive

Morphology

dextrorse = dexter (semi-transparent) = dextr + orse

The meaning 'turning to the right' follows from 'dexter' + the rare technical suffix '-orse', but both elements are uncommon outside specialist contexts so learners may not infer the meaning readily.

Etymology

Dextrorse comes from the Latin root dexter, which means 'right' and appears in English words like dexterity and ambidextrous. So, dextrorse describes something that 'turns to the right', which is why botanists use it for stems or vines that spiral from left to right as they grow.