hand

Syllabification: (hand)

Pronunciation: /hand/

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Definition of hand

noun

1the end part of a person’s arm beyond the wrist, including the palm, fingers, and thumb:she placed the money on the palm of her hand he was leading her by the hand
a prehensile organ similar to a hand, forming the end part of a limb of various mammals, such as that on all four limbs of a monkey.
[as modifier] operated by or held in the hand:hand luggage
[as modifier or in combination] done or made manually rather than by machine:hand signals a hand-stitched quilt
[in singular] informal a round of applause:his fans gave him a big hand
dated a pledge of marriage by a woman:he wrote to request the hand of her daughter in marriage

2something resembling a hand in form or position, in particular.
a pointer on a clock or watch indicating the passing of units of time:the second hand
a bunch of bananas.

3 (hands) used in reference to the power to direct something:the day-to-day running of the house was in her hands taking the law into their own hands
(usually a hand) an active role in influencing something:he had a big hand in organizing the event
(usually a hand) help in doing something:do you need a hand?
(usually hands) (in sports) skill and dexterity:he’s a receiver with very good hands
a person’s workmanship, especially in artistic work:this should be a clue in attributing other work to his hand
a person’s handwriting:he inscribed the statement in a bold hand
[with adjective] a person who does something to a specified standard:I’m a great hand at inventing

4a person who engages in manual labor, especially in a factory, on a farm, or on board a ship:a factory hand the ship was lost with all hands

5the set of cards dealt to a player in a card game.
a round or short spell of play in a card game:his idea of a good time would be a hand of bridge
Bridge the cards held by declarer as opposed to those in the dummy.

6a unit of measurement of a horse’s height, equal to 4 inches (10.16 cm).
[denoting the breadth of a hand, formerly used as a more general lineal measure and taken to equal three inches]

verb

1 [with two objects] pick (something) up and give to (someone):he handed each man a glass I handed the trowel back to him
informal make (abusive, untrue, or otherwise objectionable) remarks to (someone):all the yarns she’d been handing me
informal make (something) easily obtainable for (someone):it was a win handed to him on a plate

2 [with object] hold the hand of (someone) in order to help them move in the specified direction:he handed him into a carriage

3 [with object] Sailing take in or furl (a sail):hand in the main!

Phrases

at hand: nearby:keep the manual close at hand; readily accessible when needed.; close in time; about to happen:a breakthrough in combating the disease may be at hand
at (or by) the hands (or hand) of: through the agency of:tests he would undergo at the hands of a senior neurologist
bind (or tie) someone hand and foot: tie someone’s hands and feet together.
by hand: by a person and not a machine:the crop has to be harvested by hand
give (or lend) a hand: assist in an action or enterprise.
hand in glove: in close collusion or association:they were working hand in glove with our enemies
hand in hand: (of two people) with hands joined, especially as a mark of affection.; closely associated:she had the confidence that usually goes hand in hand with experience
(from) hand to mouth: satisfying only one’s immediate needs because of lack of money for future plans and investments:they were flat broke and living hand to mouth [as adjective]:a hand-to-mouth existence
hands down: easily and decisively; without question:winning the debate hands down
hands off: used as a warning not to touch or interfere with something:hands off that cake!; (as adjective hands-off) not involving or requiring direct control or intervention:a hands-off management style
hands-on: involving or offering active participation rather than theory:hands-on practice to gain experience; Computing involving or requiring personal operation at a keyboard.
hands up!: used as an instruction to raise one’s hands in surrender or to signify assent or participation:Hands up! Who saw the program?
have one's hands full: have as much work as one can do.
have one's hands tied: informal be unable to act freely.
have to hand it to someone: informal used to acknowledge the merit or achievement of someone:I’ve got to hand it to you—you’ve got the magic touch
in hand
in safe hands: protected by someone trustworthy from harm or damage:the future of the cathedral is in safe hands
keep one's hand in: become (or remain) practiced in something.
make (or lose or spend) money hand over fist: informal make (or lose or spend) money very rapidly.
off someone's hands: not having to be dealt with or looked after by the person specified:they just want the problem off their hands
on every hand: all around:new technologies were springing up on every hand
on hand: present, especially for a specified purpose:her trainer was on hand to give advice; readily available.; needing to be dealt with:they had many urgent and pressing matters on hand
on someone's hands: used to indicate that someone is responsible for dealing with someone or something:he has a difficult job on his hands; used to indicate that someone is to blame for something:he has my son’s blood on his hands; at someone’s disposal:since I retired I’ve had more time on my hands
on the one (or the other) hand: used to present factors that are opposed or that support opposing opinions:a conflict between their rationally held views on the one hand and their emotions and desires on the other
out of hand
the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing: used to convey that there is a state of confusion within a group or organization.
set (or put) one's hand to: start work on.
stay someone's hand: restrain someone from acting.
take a hand: become influential in determining something; intervene:fate was about to take a hand in the outcome of the championship
talk to the hand: [in imperative] informal used as a contemptuous way of dismissing what someone has said (often accompanied by a gesture in which the palm of the hand is held in front of the original speaker’s face):talk to the hand, girl, 'cos the face ain’t listening
to hand: within easy reach:have a pen and paper to hand
turn one's hand to: undertake (an activity different from one’s usual occupation):a music teacher who turned his hand to writing books
wait on someone hand and foot: attend to all someone’s needs or requests, especially when this is regarded as unreasonable.
with one hand (tied) behind one's back: with serious limitations or restrictions:at the moment, the police are tackling record crime rates with one hand tied behind their back; used to indicate that one could do something without any difficulty:I could do her job with one hand tied behind my back

Phrasal Verbs

hand something down
hand something in: give something to a person in authority for their attention.
hand something on: pass something to the next person in a series or succession:he had handed on the family farm to his son; pass responsibility for something to someone else; delegate.
hand something out
hand over: pass responsibility to someone else:he will soon hand over to a new director
hand someone/something over: give someone or something, or the responsibility for someone or something, to someone else:hand the matter over to the police
hand something around: offer something to each of a number of people in turn:a big box of chocolates was handed around

Derivatives

handless

Origin:

Old English hand, hond, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch hand and German Hand

hand in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of hand in the British & World English dictionary

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Other

noun

verb

Phrases

at hand

at (or by) the hands (or hand) of

bind (or tie) someone hand and foot

by hand

give (or lend) a hand

hand in glove

hand in hand

(from) hand to mouth

hands down

hands off

hands-on

hands up!

have one's hands full

have one's hands tied

have to hand it to someone

in hand

in safe hands

keep one's hand in

make (or lose or spend) money hand over fist

off someone's hands

on every hand

on hand

on someone's hands

on the one (or the other) hand

out of hand

the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing

set (or put) one's hand to

stay someone's hand

take a hand

talk to the hand

to hand

turn one's hand to

wait on someone hand and foot

with one hand (tied) behind one's back

Phrasal Verbs

hand something down

hand something in

hand something on

hand something out

hand over

hand someone/something over

hand something around

Derivatives

handless

Origin:

hand in other Oxford dictionaries

Nearby words

More results for hand

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