English

Adjective

rightways ‎(not comparable)

1. In a correct or normal orientation.
   • 2004, Andrew Klavan, Dynamite Road, page 96:

     She leaned forward, tilted her head, as if to get a rightways look at the snapshot herself

   • 2011, Stacy Carlson, Among the Wonderful:

     Just get out of my way and I'll be rightways up and out of this cursed tunnel.

   • 2012, Di Morrissey, Kimberley Sun:

     She began to lose her sense of perspective, what was rightways up or down.

Adverb

rightways ‎(comparative more rightways, superlative most rightways)

1. In a normal or correct orientation.
   • 2004, Ronne Hartfield, Another Way Home: The Tangled Roots of Race in One Chicago Family, page 111:

     Such hands could turn the unborn child rightways in the birth canal

   • 2007, Robert Amos, Artists in Their Studios: Where Art Is Born, page 25:

     When I work on it rightways up, I am conscious of the figuration. When I work on it upside down, then I'm thinking of the space

   • 2009, Tim Sandlin, Rowdy in Paris:

     I went out to the hallway to turn the mop bucket back rightways and consider the options.

2. Rightward.
   • 1918, William Hay, The escape of the notorious Sir William Heans, page 398:

     Conapanny did not make at once east up the hill, but led a course slanting rightways over the shoulder, descending about four o'clock into the gully on the hinder side

   • 1987, R. Conrad, Act of Writing, page 17:

     But the trees went uphill and down, turned leftways and rightways, without landmarks or anything to orient me with the tracks.

   • 1997, Jack Womack, Elvissey, page 160:

     "They're trying to take out the tires," John said, wheeling rightways.

3. Rightly.
   • 1878, Jean Middlemass, “Peter Stott's Dream”, in Belgravia, volume 34, page 25:

     Now, that is a thing as I never was asked for before, and don't rightways know what it be; if it's sealing-wax, it's welcome you are

Related terms

• rightwise