hand

• enPR: hănd, IPA^(key): /hænd/

• Audio (RP)

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• Audio (GA)

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• Audio

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• Rhymes: -ænd

From Middle English hond, hand, from Old English hand, from Proto-West Germanic *handu, from Proto-Germanic *handuz (compare Dutch, Norwegian Nynorsk, Swedish hand, Danish hånd, German Hand, West Frisian hân), of uncertain origin. 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”).

hand (plural hands)

1. The part of the forelimb below the forearm or wrist in a human, and the corresponding part in many other animals.

   Her hands are really strong.

   Meronyms: index finger, middle finger, palm, pinky, ring finger, thumb

   • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 7, in Mr. Pratt's Patients:

     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.

   • 2012, John Branch, “Snow Fall : The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek”, in New York Time‎:

     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.

2. That which resembles, or to some extent performs the office of, a human hand.
   1. A limb of certain animals, such as the foot of a hawk, or any one of the four extremities of a monkey.
   2. An index or pointer on a dial; such as the hour and minute hands on the face of an analog clock, which are used to indicate the time of day.
3. That which is, or may be, held in a hand at once.
   1. (card games) The set of cards held by a player.
      1. A round of a card game.
   2. (tobacco manufacturing) A bundle of tobacco leaves tied together.
   3. (collective) A bunch of bananas.
4. That which has the appearance of, a human hand.
   1. A bunch of bananas, a typical retail amount, where individual fruits are fingers.
5. In linear measurement:
   1. (chiefly in measuring the height of horses) Four inches, a hand's breadth.
      • 1945 August 17, George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], chapter 1, in Animal Farm […], London: Secker & Warburg, OCLC 3655473:

        Boxer was an enormous beast, nearly eighteen hands high, and as strong as any two ordinary horses put together.

   2. (obsolete) Three inches.
6. A side; part, camp; direction, either right or left.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Exodus 38:15, column 1:

     […] on this hand and that hand were hangings […]

   • 1649, J[ohn] Milton, “Upon the Rebellion in Ireland”, in ΕΙΚΟΝΟΚΛΆΣΤΗΣ [Eikonoklástēs] […], London: […] Matthew Simmons, […], OCLC 1044608640, page 125:

     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.

   • 1950, Bertrand Russell, acceptance speech for Nobel Prize in Literature

     I maintain, however, on the one hand, that there are few occasions upon which large bodies of men, such as politics is concerned with, can rise above selfishness, while, on the other hand, there are a very great many circumstances in which populations will fall below selfishness, if selfishness is interpreted as enlightened self-interest.

7. Power of performance; means of execution; ability; skill; dexterity.
   • 1712 October 13 (Gregorian calendar)​, Joseph Addison, “THURSDAY, October 2, 1712”, in The Spectator, number 499; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume V, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, OCLC 191120697, page 451:

     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.

   • 1920, Mary Roberts Rinehart; Avery Hopwood, “The Shadow of the Bat”, in The Bat: A Novel from the Play (Dell Book; 241), New York, N.Y.: Dell Publishing Company, OCLC 20230794, page 6:

     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.

8. (especially in compounds) An agent; a servant, or manual laborer; a workman, trained or competent for special service or duty.

   Large farms need many farm hands.

   • 1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], OCLC 153628242, book III, page 259:

     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.

   • 1905, Baroness Emmuska Orczy, chapter 2, in The Affair at the Novelty Theatre‎:

     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.

9. A performer more or less skilful.

   an old hand at public speaking

   • 1811, William Hazlitt, “A Day by the Fire”, in The Reflector:

     I was always reckoned a lively hand at a simile.

   • 1903, George Horace Lorimer, Letters from a Self-Made Merchant to his Son (page 46)

     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.

10. An instance of helping.

    Bob gave Alice a hand to move the furniture.

    • 1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 46, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, OCLC 2057953:

      What need have you of a hand who never fall?

    • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., OCLC 222716698, page 58:

      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.

11. Handwriting; style of penmanship.

    a good hand

    • c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act IV, scene iii], page 202, column 2:

      I ſay ſhe neuer did inuent this letter, / This is a mans inuention, and his hand.

    • 1749, Henry Fielding, “Containing Instructions Very Necessary to Be Perused by Modern Critics”, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume IV, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], OCLC 928184292, book X, page 4:

      […] 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.

    • 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, “The Sea Chest”, in Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, OCLC 702939134, part I (The Old Buccaneer), page 31:

      […] I found written on the other side, in a very good, clear hand, this short message […]

    • 1886 January 5, Robert Louis Stevenson, “The Last Night”, in Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., OCLC 762755901, pages 74–75:

      '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!'

    • 1946 March and April, R. A. H. Weight, “Euston to the North-West”, in Railway Magazine, page 69:

      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.

    • 2013 September 14, Jane Shilling, “The Golden Thread: the Story of Writing, by Ewan Clayton, review [print edition: Illuminating language]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Review)‎, page R28:

      [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.

12. A person's autograph or signature.
    • c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], part 1, 2nd edition, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, OCLC 932920499; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene ii:

      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.

13. Promise, word.
    • Montague Summers (editor), The Works of Aphra Behn, volume V, page 132:

      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?

14. Personal possession; ownership.
    • 1603, Richard Knolles, The Generall Historie of the Turkes, […], London: […] Adam Islip, OCLC 837543169:

      Receiving in hand one year’s tribute.

15. (usually in the plural, hands) Management, domain, control.

    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.

    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Luke 1:1, column 1:

      Foraſmuch as many haue taken in hande to ſet foorth in order a declaration of thoſe things which are moſt ſurely beleeued among vs […]

    • 1670, John Milton, “The Second Book”, in The History of Britain, that Part Especially now Call’d England. […], London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for James Allestry, […] , OCLC 946735472, page 81:

      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;

16. Applause.

    Give him a hand.

    • 1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 3, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, OCLC 2057953:

      “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.

    • 2013, Tom Shone, Oscar nominations pull a surprise by showing some taste – but will it last? (in The Guardian, 11 January 2013)

      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.

17. (historical) A Native American gambling game, involving guessing the whereabouts of bits of ivory or similar, which are passed rapidly from hand to hand.
18. (firearms) The small part of a gunstock near the lock, which is grasped by the hand in taking aim.
19. A whole rhizome of ginger.
20. The feel of a fabric; the impression or quality of the fabric as judged qualitatively by the sense of touch.

    This fabric has a smooth, soft hand.

21. (archaic) Actual performance; deed; act; workmanship; agency; hence, manner of performance.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Judges 6:36, column 1:

      And Gideon ſaid vnto God, If thou wilt ſaue Iſrael by mine hand, […]

    • 1702–1704, Edward [Hyde, 1st] Earl of Clarendon, “Book VIII”, in The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England, Begun in the Year 1641. […], volume II, part II, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed at the Theater, published 1707, OCLC 937919305, page 605:

      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.

22. (archaic) Agency in transmission from one person to another.

    to buy at first hand (from the producer, or when new);  to buy at second hand (when no longer in the producer’s hand, or when not new);  It's not a rumor. I heard it at first hand.

23. (obsolete) Rate; price.
    • 1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Dispatch. XXV.”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, OCLC 863521290, page 143:

      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.

Hand is used figuratively for a large variety of acts or things, in the doing, or making, or use of which the hand is in some way employed or concerned; also, as a symbol to denote various qualities or conditions, as,

(a) Activity; operation; work; — in distinction from the head, which implies thought, and the heart, which implies affection.

His hand will be against every man. — Genesis 16:12

(b) Power; might; supremacy; — often in the Scriptures.

With a mighty hand . . . will I rule over you. — Ezekiel 20:33.

(c) Fraternal feeling; for example to give, or take, the hand; to give the right hand

(d) Contract; — commonly of marriage; for example to ask the hand; to pledge the hand

• (part of the arm below the wrist): manus (formal), mound (obsolete), mund (obsolete), paw (of some animals)

• handle

Appendix:English collective nouns

Poker hands in English · poker hands (layout · text)
high card	pair	two pair	three of a kind	straight
flush	full house	four of a kind	straight flush	royal flush

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”).

hand (third-person singular simple present hands, present participle handing, simple past and past participle handed)

1. (transitive) To give, pass or transmit with the hand, literally or figuratively.
   • 2013 August 10, “Can China clean up fast enough?”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:

     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.

   He handed them the letter.   She handed responsibility over to her deputy.

2. (transitive) To lead, guide, or assist with the hand; to conduct.

   to hand a lady into a carriage

3. (transitive, obsolete) To manage.
   • 1709, Mat[thew] Prior, “The Lady's Looking-Glass”, in Poems on Several Occasions, 2nd edition, London: […] Jacob Tonson […], OCLC 1103119849, page 45:

     I bleſs my Chain, I hand my Oar, / Nor think on all I left on Shoar.

4. (transitive, obsolete) To seize; to lay hands on.
   • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act I, scene i]:

     wee will not hand a rope more

5. (transitive, rare) To pledge by the hand; to handfast.
6. (transitive, nautical, said of a sail) To furl.
   • 1814, John Hamilton Moore, "Examination of a Young Sea Officer" in The new practical navigator nineteenth edition

     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

   • 1834 [November 4, 1756], Franklin, Benjamin, “Observations in answer to the foregoing.”, in Memoirs of Benjamin Franklin‎, volume II, Philadelphia: McCarty & Davis, OCLC 22645948, page 344, column 1:

     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.

7. (intransitive, obsolete) To cooperate.

• hand in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

• Dahn, Danh, H-DNA, NADH, dahn, hDNA

From Dutch hand, from Middle Dutch hant, from Old Dutch hant, from Proto-West Germanic *handu, from Proto-Germanic *handuz.

• IPA^(key): /ɦant/

• Audio

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hand (plural hande, diminutive handjie)

1. A hand.

• handskoen

hand

1. Obsolete spelling of han (“he”)

From Middle Dutch hant, from Old Dutch hant, from Proto-West Germanic *handu, from Proto-Germanic *handuz.

• IPA^(key): /ɦɑnt/

• audio

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• Hyphenation: hand
• Rhymes: -ɑnt

hand f (plural handen, diminutive handje n)

1. A hand of a human, other simian or other animal with fingers.

• thans

• Afrikaans: hand
• Jersey Dutch: hānd
• Negerhollands: hand, han, hant
• Skepi Creole Dutch: hant
• → Caribbean Hindustani: háñth
• →? Sranan Tongo: anu, hanu, han
  • → Aukan: anoe

Clipping of handball. Compare foot from football.

• ^{(aspirated h)} IPA^(key): /ɑ̃d/

• Audio

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hand m (uncountable)

1. the sport handball

   Synonym: handball

   On va jouer au hand, tu veux venir?

   We're going to play handball. Do you want to come?

• handj (Central Limburgish, East Limburgish, Southeast Limburgish)
• hank (Southeast Limburgish, East Limburgish)
• haand (uncommon variant)
• Haïnt (Eupen)

From Proto-West Germanic *handu, from Proto-Germanic *handuz.

• IPA^(key): /(h)ɑnt/, /ɦ-/, /-ant/

hand f

1. (anatomy, common variant) A hand

From Old English hand.

hand (plural hands)

1. Alternative form of hond (“hand”)

• English: hand

• hånd

From Old Norse hǫnd, from Proto-Germanic *handuz
.

Picture dictionary
hand handflate handledd tommel pekefinger langfinger ringfinger lillefinger
Click on labels in the image

• IPA^(key): /hɑnː/
• Homophones: han, hann
• Rhymes: -ɑn

hand f or m (definite singular handa or handen, indefinite plural hender, definite plural hendene)

1. (anatomy) A hand.

• hanske (“glove”)

“hand” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

From Old Norse hǫnd, from Proto-Germanic *handuz. Akin to English hand.

• IPA^(key): /hɑnd/, /hɑnː/
• Homophones: han, hann (in some dialects)
• Rhymes: -ɑn

hand f (definite singular handa, indefinite plural hender, definite plural hendene)

1. (anatomy) A hand.

• hanske (“glove”)

• “hand” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

• hond

From Proto-West Germanic *handu, from Proto-Germanic *handuz. Cognate with Old Frisian hond, Old Saxon hand, Old High German hant, Old Norse hǫnd, Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌿𐍃 (handus).

• IPA^(key): /xɑnd/, [hɑnd]

hand f

1. hand

• handæx (“hatchet”)
• handbōc (“manual”)
• handcræft (“dexterity”)
• handgang (“surrender”)
• handġewrit (“handwriting”)
• handlian (“to handle”)
• handprēost (“chaplain”)
• handseten (“signature”)
• handweorc (“manual labor”)
• -hende (“-handed”)
• on hand gān (“to surrender”)

• Middle English: hond, hand
  • English: hand
  • Scots: hand, haund
  • Yola: hoane

• IPA^(key): /ˈhand/

hand f

1. Alternative form of hond

From Proto-West Germanic *handu, from Proto-Germanic *handuz. Compare Old Frisian and Old English hand, Old High German hant, Old Norse hǫnd.

hand f

1. A hand.

• Middle Low German: hant
  • German Low German: Hand

    Westphalian:

    Westmünsterländisch: Hand

    Lippisch: Hand

    Ravensbergisch: Hand

  • Plautdietsch: Haunt

From Old Norse hǫnd, from Proto-Germanic *handuz.

hand f

1. A hand
2. A direction
3. A behalf
4. A sort, kind.

• Swedish: hand

From Old Swedish hand, from Old Norse hǫnd, from Proto-Germanic *handuz. Cognate with Danish hånd, Norwegian hand, English hand and German Hand.

• IPA^(key): /hand/

• audio

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hand c

1. (anatomy) A hand.

   Han tjatade jämt om att hon måste tvätta händerna.

   He was always nagging on her to wash her hands.

2. (card games) A hand; the set of cards held by a player.

   Hon fick en bra hand, och satsade högt.

   She was dealt a good set of cards, and placed a high bet.

The definite plural händren is archaic.

• karda (colloquial)

• -hänt

• hand in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)