Etimology
From Middle English hond, hand, from Old English hand, from Proto-West Germanic *handu, from Proto-Germanic *handuz. See also Dutch and Swedish hand (“hand”), Danish hånd, German Hand, West Frisian hân). Perhaps compare Old Swedish hinna (“to gain”), Gothic 𐍆𐍂𐌰-𐌷𐌹𐌽𐌸𐌰𐌽 (fra-hinþan, “to take captive, capture”); and Latvian sīts (“hunting spear”), Ancient Greek κεντέω (kentéō, “prick”), Albanian çandër (“pitchfork, prop”).
noun
hand (plural hands)
The part of the forelimb below the forearm or wrist in a human, and the corresponding part in many other animals.
That which resembles, or to some extent performs the office of, a human hand.
That which is, or may be, held in a hand at once.
In linear measurement:
A side; part, camp; direction, either right or left.
Power of performance; means of execution; ability; skill; dexterity.
(especially in compounds) An agent; a servant, or manual laborer; a workman, trained or competent for special service or duty.
A performer more or less skilful.
An instance of helping.
Handwriting; style of penmanship.
A person's autograph or signature.
Promise, word; especially of a betrothal.
Personal possession; ownership.
(chiefly in the plural) Management, domain, control.
(colloquial, chiefly in the negative plural) A hand which is free to assist; especially due to having one's hands full or otherwise fully preoccupied.
Applause.
(historical) A Native American gambling game, involving guessing the whereabouts of bits of ivory or similar, which are passed rapidly from hand to hand.
(firearms) The small part of a gunstock near the lock, which is grasped by the hand in taking aim.
A whole rhizome of ginger.
The feel of a fabric; the impression or quality of the fabric as judged qualitatively by the sense of touch.
(archaic) Actual performance; deed; act; workmanship; agency; hence, manner of performance.
(archaic) Agency in transmission from one person to another.
(obsolete) Rate; price.
Examples
Her hands are really strong.
Meronyms: index finger, middle finger, palm, pinky, ring finger, thumb
I made a speaking trumpet of my hands and commenced to whoop “Ahoy!” and “Hello!” at the top of my lungs. […] The Colonel woke up, and, after asking what in brimstone was the matter, opened his mouth and roared “Hi!” and “Hello!” like the bull of Bashan.
Using her hands like windshield wipers, she tried to flick snow away from her mouth. When she clawed at her chest and neck, the crumbs maddeningly slid back onto her face. She grew claustrophobic.
The fruits of these kickstarted endeavors began to show in 1915, first in the deployment of a new range of depth charges. These were, mercifully, smaller than Jellicoe's "crushing hand of God" prototype, and, whilst practically just as lethal to submarines, they were significantly less risky to the launching ship, and could also be carried in larger numbers.
Boxer was an enormous beast, nearly eighteen hands high, and as strong as any two ordinary horses put together.
[…] on this hand and that hand were hangings […]
For that the Proteſtants were then on the winning hand, it muſt needs be plain; who notwithſtanding the miſs of thoſe Forces which, at thir landing heer, maiſter’d without difficulty great part of Wales and Cheſhire, yet made a ſhift to keep thir ownw in Ireland.
My friend Will Honeycomb has told me, for above this half year, that he had a great mind to try his hand at a Spectator, and that he would fain have one of his writing in my works.The spelling has been modernized.
The spelling has been modernized.
The Bat—they called him the Bat. […]. He'd never been in stir, the bulls had never mugged him, he didn't run with a mob, he played a lone hand, and fenced his stuff so that even the Fence couldn't swear he knew his face.
Large farms need many farm hands.
But a Dictionary of this ſort, containing, as it were, a Natural Hiſtory, requires too many hands, as well as too much time, coſt, pains, and ſagacity, ever to be hoped for; and till that be done, we muſt content our ſelves with ſuch Definitions of the Names of Subſtances, as explain the ſenſe Men uſe them in.
For this scene, a large number of supers are engaged, and in order to further swell the crowd, practically all the available stage hands have to ‘walk on’ dressed in various coloured dominoes, and all wearing masks.
an old hand at public speaking
I was always reckoned a lively hand at a simile.
At the church sociables he used to hop around among them, chipping and chirping like a dicky-bird picking up seed; and he was a great hand to play the piano, and sing saddish, sweetish songs to them.
Bob gave Alice a hand to move the furniture.
What need have you of a hand who never fall?
The Celebrity, by arts unknown, induced Mrs. Judge Short and two other ladies to call at Mohair on a certain afternoon when Mr. Cooke was trying a trotter on the track. The three returned wondering and charmed with Mrs. Cooke; they were sure she had had no hand in the furnishing of that atrocious house.
a good hand
I ſay ſhe neuer did inuent this letter, / This is a mans inuention, and his hand.
[…] I have ſometimes known a Poet in Danger of being convicted as a Thief, upon much worſe Evidence than the Reſemblance of Hands hath been held to be in the Law.
[…] I found written on the other side, in a very good, clear hand, this short message […]
'This is a strange note,' said Mr. Utterson; and then sharply, 'How do you come to have it open?' 'The man at Maw's was main angry, sir, and he threw it back to me like so much dirt,' returned Poole. 'This is unquestionably the doctor's hand, do you know?' resumed the lawyer. 'I thought it looked like it,' said the servant rather sulkily; and then, with another voice, 'But what matters hand of write,' he said. 'I've seen him!'
With an unquenchable enthusiasm for locomotives and their work, at an early age I had commenced to keep engine and traffic-recording notebooks, compiled in a schoolboy's round hand.
[T]he pleasure of writing on wax with a stylus is exemplified by the fine, flowing hand of a Roman scribe who made out the birth certificate of Herennia Gemella, born March 128 AD.
Who […] Haue paſt the armie of the mightie Turke:Bearing his priuie ſignet and his hand,To ſafe conduct vs thorow Affrica: […]
Given under my Hand and Seal of the State this 1st Day of January, 2010.
They once made Mourning and Fasting for the Death of the English Governor, who had given his Hand to come on such a Day to 'em, and neither came nor sent; believing, when a Man's Word was past, nothing but Death could or should prevent his keeping it: And when they saw he was not dead, they ask'd him what Name they had for a Man who promis'd a Thing he did not do?
Few would rely upon the word or oath of any man who had been known to break a hand-promise.
Receiving in hand one year’s tribute.
in safe hands; in good hands; He lost his job when the factory changed hands. With the business back in the founder's hands, there is new hope for the company. With John in charge of the project, it's in good hands.
Foraſmuch as many haue taken in hande to ſet foorth in order a declaration of thoſe things which are moſt ſurely beleeued among vs […]
But Albinus in thoſe troubleſome times enſuing under the ſhort reign of Pertinax and Didius Julianus, found means to keep in his hands the Government of Britain;
The method, in the hands of an experienced team of physicians and technicians, has become a relatively safe and useful procedure in the study of congenital heart disease and an accurate device for calculating cardiac output.
Just give me a minute - I haven't got any hands right now.
Give him a hand.
“Give him a hand, Pendennis; you know every chap likes a hand,” Mr. Foker said; and the good-natured young gentleman, and Pendennis laughing, and the dragoons in the opposite box, began clapping hands to the best of their power.
Also a big hand for Silver Linings Playbook, an exuberant modern screwball comedy we had, in an unseemly fit of cynicism, deemed "too entertaining" for Academy voters.
This fabric has a smooth, soft hand.
And Gideon ſaid vnto God, If thou wilt ſaue Iſrael by mine hand, […]
They who thought they could never be ſecure in any Peace, except the King were firſt at their Mercy, and ſo obliged to accept the conditions they would give him, were willing to change the hand in carrying on the War: and many, who thought the Earl of Eſſex behaved himſelf too imperiouſly, were willing to have the Command in one who was more their equal.
to buy at first hand ; to buy at second hand ; It's not a rumor. I heard it at first hand.
For Time is the meaſure of Buſineſſe, as Money is of Wares: And Buſineſſe is bought at a deare Hand, where there is ſmall diſpatch.
Related words
synonyms
(part of the arm below the wrist): manus (formal), mound (obsolete), mund (obsolete), paw (of some animals)
coordinate terms
foot
finger
palm
wrist
related terms
handle
Etimology
From Middle English handen, honden, from the noun (see above); and also from henden (> English hend), from Old English *hendan, ġehendan (“to seize by hand, grasp, hold”), from Proto-West Germanic *handijan, from Proto-Germanic *handijaną (“to take by hand, grasp”), from the noun (see above). Cognate with Old Frisian handa, henda (“to grasp, seize”), Middle Low German handen, henden (in derivatives), Dutch handen, henden (“to arrange, dispose, be handy”), Dutch overhandigen (“to hand, hand over”), Middle High German handen (“to cut, hew”), Middle High German henden (“to give hands to; take hold of, seize”), Old Norse henda (“to grasp, seize, take by hand”).
verb
hand (third-person singular simple present hands, present participle handing, simple past and past participle handed)
(transitive) To give, pass or transmit with the hand, literally or figuratively.
(transitive) To lead, guide, or assist with the hand; to conduct.
(transitive, obsolete) To manage.
(transitive, obsolete) To seize; to lay hands on.
(transitive, rare) To pledge by the hand; to handfast.
(transitive, nautical) To furl (a sail).
(intransitive, obsolete) To cooperate.
Examples
He handed them the letter. She handed responsibility over to her deputy.
It has jailed environmental activists and is planning to limit the power of judicial oversight by handing a state-approved body a monopoly over bringing environmental lawsuits.
However, Anyon Kay remembers a Mr Walton Ainsworth, of Beech House, Rivington, who owned mills in Bolton, being a regular user before the First World War. He used to drive by horse and trap from his mansion to catch the 0906 train to Bolton each day. Before arriving at the station, local newsagent Tom Dutton would hand Mr Ainsworth his morning paper!
to hand a lady into a carriage
I bleſs my Chain, I hand my Oar, / Nor think on all I left on Shoar.
wee will not hand a rope more
send the people up to hand the sail, and when up, before they goon the yard, I'll clap the rolling tackle on to steady it
In the very long run from the west side of America to Guam, among the Philippine Islands, ships seldom have occasion to hand their sails, so equal and steady is the gale, and yet they make it in about 60 days, which could not be if the wind blew only in the afternoon.