handtame

See also: hand-tame

English

Alternative forms

• hand-tame

Etymology

From Middle English handtame, from Old English handtam (“tame enough to be handled”), from Proto-West Germanic *handutam, equivalent to hand +‎ tame. Cognate with Dutch handtam (“handtame”), German Low German handtamm (“handtame”), German handzahm (“handtame”).

Adjective

handtame (comparative more handtame, superlative most handtame)

1. Tame and accustomed to being held in the hand; (by extension) mild; meek; humble; docile
   • 2003, From The Heart of a Bird - Page 50:

     I badly wanted a little more time to work on training them, but simply couldn't find it — so while they grew up friendly and confident, you couldn't exactly called them handtame.

   • 2011, David Tipling, The Bird Photography Field Guide:

     This is a really popular image with British photographers when photographing Atlantic puffins, which can be hand-tame — indeed, I have had puffins playfully tugging at my laces while sitting on a cliff top!

   • 2015, Cherry Wilder, A Princess of the Chameln:

     Tamir was all her joy. She had him hand-tame, spoiled him most tenderly.

Derived terms

• hand-tameness

Translations

tame and accustomed to being held in the hand; mild; meek; humble; docile

• German: handzahm

Verb

handtame (third-person singular simple present handtames, present participle handtaming, simple past and past participle handtamed)

1. To cause (someone or something) to become accustomed to being handled
   • 1964, Senior Citizen, volume 10, page 40:

     Even children can handtame wild birds, if they follow Al Martin's simple directions.

   • 2003, Brats in Feathers, Keeping Canaries - Page 49:

     So now that you've decided to handtame your canary, just where do you start?

Translations

to cause to become accustomed to being handled

• German: handzahm machen