n. [ LL. alfetum, fr. AS. ālfæt a pot to boil in; āl burning + fæt vat. ] A caldron of boiling water into which an accused person plunged his forearm as a test of innocence or guilt. [ 1913 Webster ]

imp. & p. p. of Leave. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. That part of surrounding space toward which the left side of one's body is turned; as, the house is on the left when you face North. [ 1913 Webster ]

Put that rose a little more to the left. Ld. Lytton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Those members of a legislative assembly (as in France) who are in the opposition; the advanced republicans and extreme radicals. They have their seats at the left-hand side of the presiding officer. See Center, and Right. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ OE. left, lift, luft; akin to Fries. leeft, OD. lucht, luft; cf. AS. left (equiv. to L. inanis), lyftādl palsy; or cf. AS. lēf weak. ] 1. Of or pertaining to that side of the body in man on which the muscular action of the limbs is usually weaker than on the other side; -- opposed to right, when used in reference to a part of the body; as, the left hand, or arm; the left ear. Also said of the corresponding side of the lower animals. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Situated so that the left side of the body is toward it; as, the left side of a deliberative meeting is that to the left of the presiding officer; the left wing of an army is that to the left of the center to one facing an enemy. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

Left bank of a river, that which is on the left hand of a person whose face is turned downstream. --
Left bower. See under 2d Bower. --
Left center, the members whose sympathies are, in the main, with the members of the Left, but who do not favor extreme courses, and on occasions vote with the government. They sit between the Center and the extreme Left. --
Over the left shoulder, or
Over the left, an old but still current colloquialism, or slang expression, used as an aside to indicate insincerity, negation, or disbelief; as, he said it, and it is true, -- over the left. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The left cerebral hemisphere of the brain; in humans, it controls motor activity on the right side of the body, and in most people is the primary location for control of language, logic, and mathematical thought. [ PJC ]

a. Of or pertaining to the left cerebral hemisphere of the brain. [ PJC ]

a. Exhibiting intellectual or personality characteristics suggesting dominance of linguistic or logical modes of thought, which are usually controlled by the left cerebral hemisphere; as, left-brained pedants unable to appreciate music; also referred to as linear. See linear{ 3 }. Contrasted with right-brained. [ PJC ]

n. (Baseball) the part of the outfield on the catcher's or batter's left.
Syn. -- left. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Situated on the left; nearer the left hand than the right; as, the left-hand side; the left-hand road. [ 1913 Webster ]

Left-hand rope, rope laid up and twisted over from right to left, or against the sun; -- called also water-laid rope. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Having the left hand or arm stronger and more dexterous than the right; using the left hand and arm with more dexterity than the right. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Clumsy; awkward; unlucky; insincere; sinister; malicious; as, a left-handed compliment. [ 1913 Webster ]

The commendations of this people are not always left-handed and detractive. Landor. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Having a direction contrary to that of the hands of a watch when seen in front; -- said of a twist, a rotary motion, etc., looked at from a given direction. [ 1913 Webster ]

Left-handed marriage, a morganatic marriage. See Morganatic. --
Left-handed screw, a screw constructed to advance away from the observer, when turned, as in a nut, with a left-handed rotation. An ordinary wood screw is right-handed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a person who uses the left hand with greater skill than the right; a left-handed{ 1 } person.
Syn. -- lefty, southpaw. [ WordNet 1.5 ]