hand

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Wikipedia

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Noun 1.3.1 Usage notes 1.3.2 Quotations 1.3.3 Meronyms 1.3.4 Derived terms 1.3.5 Translations 1.3.6 See also 1.4 Verb 1.4.1 Derived terms 1.4.2 Translations 1.5 References 2 Dutch 2.1 Pronunciation 2.2 Noun 2.2.1 Derived terms 3 French 3.1 Pronunciation 3.2 Noun 3.2.1 Synonyms 4 Old English 4.1 Etymology 4.2 Noun 5 Swedish 5.1 Pronunciation 5.2 Noun

[edit] English

Wikipedia

[edit] Etymology

From Old English hand, from Proto-Germanic *handu, from Proto-Indo-European *g̑ʰer- (“‘to grasp’”).

• Cognate with Dutch hand, German Hand, Swedish hand.

[edit] Pronunciation

• IPA: /hænd/, SAMPA: /h{nd/

  Rhymes: -ænd

•  Audio (US)^{help, file}

[edit] Noun

hand (plural hands)

1. That part of the fore limb below the forearm or wrist in a human, 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. In long measure, two different lengths:
   • (obsolete) Three inches, not to be confused with; and,
   • Four inches, a hand’s breadth, used in measuring the height of horses.
4. A side; part, camp; direction, either right or left.
   • On this hand and that hand, were hangings. — Exodus 38:15
   • The Protestants were then on the winning hand — John Milton
5. Power of performance; means of execution; ability; skill; dexterity.
   • He had a great mind to try his hand at a Spectator. — Joseph Addison
6. (archaic) Actual performance; deed; act; workmanship; agency; hence, manner of performance.
   • To change the hand in carrying on the war. — Edward Hyde Clarendon
   • Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by my hand. — Judges 6:36
7. An agent; a servant, or manual laborer, especially in compounds; a workman, trained or competent for special service or duty; a performer more or less skillful; as,

   an old hand at speaking.

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

   Bob gave Alice a hand to move the furniture.

9. Handwriting; style of penmanship; as,

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

   • 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
   • 1883, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island

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

10. Personal possession; ownership; hence, control; direction; management; — usually in the plural.
    • Receiving in hand one year’s tribute. — Knolles
    • John Milton, Albinus

      ...found means to keep in his hands the government of Britain.

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

    (a) (gaming, chiefly card games): The set of cards held by a player.

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

12. Applause.

    Give him a hand.

13. 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.

14. (obsolete) Rate; price.
    • Business is bought at a dear hand, where there is small dispatch. — Francis Bacon
15. Each of the pointers on the face of an analog clock, which are used to indicate the time of day.
16. (firearms) The small part of a gunstock near the lock, which is grasped by the hand in taking aim.
17. The collective noun for a bunch of bananas.

[edit] 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.

[edit] Quotations

• 1611 — King James Version of the Bible, Luke 1:1

  Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us...

[edit] Meronyms

• (part of the fore limb below the forearm): index finger, middle finger, palm, pinky, ring finger, thumb

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Translations

[edit] See also

Appendix: Collective nouns

[edit] Verb

to 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; as

   he handed them the letter.

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

   to hand a lady into a carriage.

3. (transitive) (obsolete) To manage; as, I hand my oar. — Matthew Prior
4. (transitive) (obsolete) To seize; to lay hands on. — Shakespeare
5. (transitive) (rare) To pledge by the hand; to handfast.
6. (transitive) (nautical) To furl; — said of a sail. — Totten
7. (intransitive) (obsolete) To cooperate. — Massinger

[edit] Derived terms

hand down hand in hand off

hand out hand over

[edit] Translations

[edit] References

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

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[edit] Dutch

[edit] Pronunciation

•  audio^{help, file}

[edit] Noun

hand f. (plural handen, diminutive handje)

1. (anatomy) hand of a human or other simian

[edit] Derived terms

achterhand afhandelen afhandig behandelen handarbeider handdruk handelbaar handelen handenvol handenvrij handgemaakt handig, handigheid handlezen handmatig handpalm

handschrift n. handtekening handvol handtastelijk handwoordenboek handzaam hardhandig onderhands onhandelbaar onhandig onderhands overhand overhandigen rechterhand, linkerhand rechtshandig, linkshandig

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[edit] French

[edit] Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɑ̃/

[edit] Noun

hand m.

1. (slang) handball

   On va jouer au hand, tu veux venir?

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

[edit] Synonyms

• handball

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[edit] Old English

[edit] Etymology

Proto-Germanic *handuz

[edit] Noun

hand f.

1. hand

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[edit] Swedish

[edit] Pronunciation

•  audio^{help, file}

[edit] Noun

Inflection for hand	Singular		Plural
common	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	hand	handen	händer	händerna
Genitive	hands	handens	händers	händernas

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 games) 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.