Hand

From Fresh Dictionary

English

Etymology

Old English hand, from Germanic *khanduz. Cognate with Dutch hand, German Hand, Swedish hand.

Noun

1. That part of the fore limb below the forearm or wrist in man and monkeys, and the corresponding part in many other animals; manus; paw. See manus
2. That which resembles, or to some extent performs the office of, a human hand; as,

   (a) A limb of certain animals, as the foot of a hawk, or any one of the four extremities of a monkey.

   (b) An index or pointer on a dial; such as the hour or minute hand of a clock

3. A measure equal to a hand’s breadth, — four inches; a palm. Chiefly used in measuring the height of horses.
4. Side; part; direction, either right or left.

   Quotations

   • On this hand and that hand, were hangings. — Exodus 38:15
   • The Protestants were then on the winning hand — Milton

5. Power of performance; means of execution; ability; skill; dexterity.

   Quotations

   • He had a great mind to try his hand at a Spectator. — Addison

6. Actual performance; deed; act; workmanship; agency; hence, manner of performance.

   Quotations

   • To change the hand in carrying on the war. — Clarendon
   • Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by my hand. — Judges 6:36

7. An agent; a servant, or manual laborer; a workman, trained or competent for special service or duty; a performer more or less skillful; as,

   a deck hand

   a farm hand

   a sailor.

   an old hand at speaking.

   Quotations

   • A dictionary containing a natural history requires too many hands, as well as too much time, ever to be hoped for. — Locke
   • I was always reckoned a lively hand at a simile. — Hazlitt

8. Handwriting; style of penmanship; as,

   a good, bad or running hand. Hence, a signature.

   Quotations

   • I say she never did invent this letter; This is a man’s invention and his hand — Shakespeare, As You Like It, IV-iii
   • Some writs require a judge’s hand — Burril

9. Personal possession; ownership; hence, control; direction; management; — usually in the plural.

   Quotations

   • Receiving in hand one year’s tribute. — Knolles
   • Albinus . . . found means to keep in his hands the government of Britain. — Milton

10. Agency in transmission from one person to another; as,

    to buy at first hand, that is, from the producer, or when new; at second hand, that is, when no longer in the producer’s hand, or when not new.

11. (Obsolete): Rate; price.

    Quotations

    • Business is bought at a dear hand, where there is small dispatch. — Bacon

12. That which is, or may be, held in a hand at once; as

    (a) (Card Playing): The set of cards held by a player.

    (b) (Tobacco Manufacturing): A bundle of tobacco leaves tied together.

13. (Firearms): The small part of a gunstock near the lock, which is grasped by the hand in taking aim.
14. Each of the long narrow flat rods on the face of an analog clock, on big clocks often ornately carved or shaped, which are used to indicate the time of day.

Usage notes

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; as, to give, or take, the hand; to give the right hand

(d) Contract; — commonly of marriage; as, to ask the hand; to pledge the hand.

Derived terms

Translations

part of body

pointer of an analogue/analog clock

set of cards held by a player in a card game

Side; part; direction, either right or left

Power of performance; means of execution; ability; skill; dexterity

Actual performance; deed; act; workmanship; agency; hence, manner of performance.

An agent; a servant, or manual laborer; a workman, trained or competent for special service or duty; a performer more or less skillful

Handwriting; style of penmanship

Personal possession; ownership; hence, control; direction; management; — usually in the plural

That which is, or may be, held in a hand at once

(Firearms): The small part of a gunstock near the lock, which is grasped by the hand in taking aim.

Translations to be checked

• Basque: esku (1), bosteko (1), erlojuorratz (2), marinel (4), itsasgizon (4), eskubete (6)
• Breton: dorn m. daouarn pl., dornioù pl from several beings (1), biz m., bizied pl. (2), c'hoari m., jeu f. (3), martolod m., martoloded pl. (4), micherour m., micherourien pl. (5)
• Catalan: busca f. (2), maneta f. (2), agulla f. (2), mà f. (3), donada f. (3), passada f. (3), mariner m. (4), mà d'obra f. (5), grapat m. (6)
• Chinese: 手 (shǒu), 針 (zhēn) (2), 一手牌 (yìshǒupái) (3), 人手 (rénshǒu) (4,5)
• Greek: δείξτηs (díxtis) m. (2), μοίρασμα (mírasma) n. (3), ναύτης (návtis) m. (4), παλάμη (palámi) f. (6)
• Indonesian: jarum (2)
• Interlingua: repartition (3), marinero (4), laborator (5), manata, pugnata (6)
• Japanese: 針 (はり, hari) (2)
• Korean: 손 (son) (5), 시계바늘 (sigyebaneul) (2), 패 [牌] (pae) (3), 일손 (ilson) (5)
• Portuguese: ponteiro m. (2); mão f. (3); marinheiro m. (4); mão-de-obra f. (5); punhado m., mancheia f. (6)
• Romanian: mână f. (3); ac n. (2)
• Spanish: mano de obra f. (5)
• Turkish: gemici (4), avuç dolusu (6)
• Welsh: llaw f. (4)

Verb

1. ((transitive{{#if:|, {{{2}}}{{#if:|, {{{3}}}{{#if:|, {{{4}}}{{#if:|, {{{5}}}{{#if:|, {{{6}}}{{#if:|, {{{7}}}{{#if:|, {{{8}}}{{#if:|, {{{9}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}))

To give, pass, or transmit with the hand; as

1. he handed them the letter.

2. ((transitive{{#if:|, {{{2}}}{{#if:|, {{{3}}}{{#if:|, {{{4}}}{{#if:|, {{{5}}}{{#if:|, {{{6}}}{{#if:|, {{{7}}}{{#if:|, {{{8}}}{{#if:|, {{{9}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}))

To lead, guide, or assist with the hand; to conduct

1. to hand a lady into a carriage.

2. ((transitive{{#if:|, {{{2}}}{{#if:|, {{{3}}}{{#if:|, {{{4}}}{{#if:|, {{{5}}}{{#if:|, {{{6}}}{{#if:|, {{{7}}}{{#if:|, {{{8}}}{{#if:|, {{{9}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}))

((obsolete{{#if:|, {{{2}}}{{#if:|, {{{3}}}{{#if:|, {{{4}}}{{#if:|, {{{5}}}{{#if:|, {{{6}}}{{#if:|, {{{7}}}{{#if:|, {{{8}}}{{#if:|, {{{9}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}})) To manage; as, I hand my oar. — Prior

1. ((transitive{{#if:|, {{{2}}}{{#if:|, {{{3}}}{{#if:|, {{{4}}}{{#if:|, {{{5}}}{{#if:|, {{{6}}}{{#if:|, {{{7}}}{{#if:|, {{{8}}}{{#if:|, {{{9}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}))

((obsolete{{#if:|, {{{2}}}{{#if:|, {{{3}}}{{#if:|, {{{4}}}{{#if:|, {{{5}}}{{#if:|, {{{6}}}{{#if:|, {{{7}}}{{#if:|, {{{8}}}{{#if:|, {{{9}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}})) To seize; to lay hands on. — Shakespeare

1. ((transitive{{#if:|, {{{2}}}{{#if:|, {{{3}}}{{#if:|, {{{4}}}{{#if:|, {{{5}}}{{#if:|, {{{6}}}{{#if:|, {{{7}}}{{#if:|, {{{8}}}{{#if:|, {{{9}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}))

((rare{{#if:|, {{{2}}}{{#if:|, {{{3}}}{{#if:|, {{{4}}}{{#if:|, {{{5}}}{{#if:|, {{{6}}}{{#if:|, {{{7}}}{{#if:|, {{{8}}}{{#if:|, {{{9}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}})) To pledge by the hand; to handfast.

1. ((transitive{{#if:|, {{{2}}}{{#if:|, {{{3}}}{{#if:|, {{{4}}}{{#if:|, {{{5}}}{{#if:|, {{{6}}}{{#if:|, {{{7}}}{{#if:|, {{{8}}}{{#if:|, {{{9}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}))

((nautical{{#if:|, {{{2}}}{{#if:|, {{{3}}}{{#if:|, {{{4}}}{{#if:|, {{{5}}}{{#if:|, {{{6}}}{{#if:|, {{{7}}}{{#if:|, {{{8}}}{{#if:|, {{{9}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}})) To furl; — said of a sail. — Totten

1. ((intransitive{{#if:|, {{{2}}}{{#if:|, {{{3}}}{{#if:|, {{{4}}}{{#if:|, {{{5}}}{{#if:|, {{{6}}}{{#if:|, {{{7}}}{{#if:|, {{{8}}}{{#if:|, {{{9}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}))

((obsolete{{#if:|, {{{2}}}{{#if:|, {{{3}}}{{#if:|, {{{4}}}{{#if:|, {{{5}}}{{#if:|, {{{6}}}{{#if:|, {{{7}}}{{#if:|, {{{8}}}{{#if:|, {{{9}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}})) To coöperate. — Massinger

Derived terms

• To hand down: to transmit in succession, as from father to son, or from predecessor to successor; as, fables are handed down from age to age; to forward to the proper officer (the decision of a higher court); as, the Clerk of the Court of Appeals handed down its decision.
• To hand over: to yield control of; to surrender; to deliver up.

Translations

give, pass or transmit with the hand

lead, guide, or assist with the hand

Translations to be checked

• Guaraní: me'ẽ
• Interlingua: dar, passar
• Portuguese: dar, passar, entregar
• Tupinambá: me'eng

References

• Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (G & C. Merriam Co., 1913, edited by Noah Porter), ARTFL version at [2]

Dutch

Noun

hand (plural: handen, diminutive: handje)

1. hand (part of the body)

French

Noun

hand m

1. (slang) handball

   On va jouer au hand, tu veux venir?

   We're going to play handball, you want to come?

Swedish

Noun

Hand c.

1. (anatomy) hand; the body part

   Han tjatade jämt om att hon måste tvätta händerna.

   He was always nagging on her to wash her hands.

2. (card game) 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.ca:hand

el:hand es:hand fr:hand ko:hand io:hand id:hand it:hand ku:hand la:hand hu:hand nl:hand ja:hand pl:hand pt:hand ru:hand sr:hand fi:hand sv:hand ta:hand vi:hand zh:hand