Meaning of hand in English
Verb
handDefinitions
1. place into the hands or custody ofExamples
- « hand me the spoon, please »
- « Turn the files over to me, please »
- « He turned over the prisoner to his lawyers »
- 2. guide or conduct or usher somewhere
Examples
- « hand the elderly lady into the taxi »
Noun
handEtymology
Old English hand, hond, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch hand and German HandDefinitions
1. the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limbExamples
- « he had the hands of a surgeon »
- « he extended his mitt »
- 2. a hired laborer on a farm or ranch
Examples
- « the hired hand fixed the railing »
- « a ranch hand »
- 3. something written by hand
Examples
- « she recognized his handwriting »
- « his hand was illegible »
- 4. ability
Examples
- « he wanted to try his hand at singing »
- 5. a position given by its location to the side of an object
Examples
- « objections were voiced on every hand »
- 6. the cards held in a card game by a given player at any given time
Examples
- « I didn't hold a good hand all evening »
- « he kept trying to see my hand »
- 7. one of two sides of an issue
Examples
- « on the one hand..., but on the other hand... »
- 8. a rotating pointer on the face of a timepiece
Examples
- « the big hand counts the minutes »
- 9. a unit of length equal to 4 inches
Examples
- « used in measuring horses »
- « the horse stood 20 hands »
- 10. a member of the crew of a ship
Examples
- « all hands on deck »
- 11. a card player in a game of bridge
Examples
- « we need a 4th hand for bridge »
- 12. a round of applause to signify approval
Examples
- « give the little lady a great big hand »
- 13. terminal part of the forelimb in certain vertebrates (e.g. apes or kangaroos)
Examples
- « the kangaroo's forearms seem undeveloped but the powerful five-fingered hands are skilled at feinting and clouting- Springfield (Mass.) Union »
- 14. physical assistance
Examples
- « give me a hand with the chores »