widdershins

[ with-er-shinz ]

Part of Speech adverb

Origin + Etymology

from Middle Low German weddersins, from Middle High German widersinnes, from wider ‘against’ + sin ‘direction’; the second element was associated with Scots sin ‘sun’

Synonyms

anticlockwise
counterclockwise
left-handed
retrograde
reversely

Antonyms

clockwise

Definition

in a direction contrary to the sun's course, considered as unlucky; counterclockwise

Example

She didn't waken as her dad scooped her up in his arms, carried her down the staircase, then turned fully widdershins so that he was facing North.

Usage Over Time

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Usage Over Time

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solecism

[ sol-uh-siz-uhm ]

a nonstandard or ungrammatical usage

tautology

[ taw-tol-uh-jee ]

an instance of such repetition

flimflam

[ flim-flam ]

a piece of nonsense; twaddle; bosh

defenestrate

[ dee-fen-uh-streyt ]

to suddenly remove (a person) from an important position or office

salubrious

[ suh-loo-bree-uhs ]

favorable to or promoting health; healthful

knackered

[ nak-erd ]

exhausted; very tired

dungarees

[ duhng-guh-ree ]

work clothes, overalls, etc. made of blue denim

confabulate

[ kuhn-fab-yuh-leyt ]

to converse informally; chat

volitional

[ voh-lish-uh-nl ]

done of one’s own will or choosing; deliberately decided or chosen