Left is one of two opposite directions, along with right. When you hold your hands out in front of you with palms down, your left hand is the one on the same side as your heart. Most people learn to tell left from right when they're young, though it can take practice to remember which is which without thinking about it.

The word describes position and direction in space. A book might sit on the left side of your desk. In many countries, cars drive on the right side of the road, so the steering wheel is on the left (though in places like England and Japan, it's reversed).

Left can also describe what remains after something is taken away. If you eat three cookies from a plate of five, two are left. When class ends and most students leave, a few might be left behind to finish their work. If you have leftover pizza from dinner, you have some remaining for lunch tomorrow.

The word also describes people who prefer using their left hand for writing and throwing. About one in ten people are left-handed, though in earlier times, schools sometimes tried to force left-handed students to use their right hands instead. Many left-handed people become skilled at adapting to a world designed mostly for right-handed users.