δεξιός
Etym. δέχομαι
I. "on the right hand or side", Lat. dexter, opp. to ἀριστερός, Hom., etc.; τὸ δ. (sc. κέρας) "the right" of an army, Xen.:—adverb. usages, ἐπὶ δεξιά "on the right", Il.; ἐπὶ δεξιόφιν (epic gen.) towards "the right", id=Il.; πρὸς δεξιά Hdt.
II. "fortunate, boding good", of the flight of birds, δεξιὸς ὄρνις, ῀ αἴσιος, Hom. —This sense came from the Greek augurs looking to the North, so that "lucky" omens, which came from the East, were "on the right", while the "unlucky" ones from the West were "on the left".
III. metaph. "dexterous, ready", opp. to σκαιός "(sinister", French "gauche)"; and of the mind, "sharp, shrewd, clever", Ar., Thuc., etc.:—adv., δεξιῶς; Sup. δεξιώτατα, Ar.