hand

synonyms, antonyms, definitions, examples & translations of hand in English

English Online Dictionary. What means hand‎? What does hand mean?

English

Pronunciation

enPR: hănd, IPA^(key): /hænd/
(æ-tensing) IPA^(key): [hɛənd], [heənd], [hɛːnd]
Rhymes: -ænd

Etymology 1

From Middle English hond, hand, from Old English hand, from Proto-West Germanic *handu, from Proto-Germanic *handuz.

See also Dutch and Swedish hand (“hand”), Danish hånd, German Hand, West Frisian hân). Perhaps compare Old Swedish hinna (“to gain”), Gothic 𐍆𐍂𐌰-𐌷𐌹𐌽𐌸𐌰𐌽 (fra-hinþan, “to take captive, capture”); and Latvian sīts (“hunting spear”), Ancient Greek κεντέω (kentéō, “prick”), Albanian çandër (“pitchfork, prop”).

Noun

hand (plural hands)

The part of the forelimb below the forearm or wrist in a human, and the corresponding part in many other animals.

Meronyms: index finger, middle finger, palm, pinky, ring finger, thumb
That which resembles, or to some extent performs the office of, a human hand.
1. A limb of certain animals, such as the foot of a hawk, or any one of the four extremities of a monkey.
2. An index or pointer on a dial; such as the hour and minute hands on the face of an analog clock, which are used to indicate the time of day.
That which is, or may be, held in a hand at once.
2. (card games) The set of cards held by a player.
  1. A round of a card game.
3. (tobacco manufacturing) A bundle of tobacco leaves tied together.
5. (collective) A bunch of bananas, a typical retail amount, where individual fruits are fingers.
In linear measurement:
1. (chiefly in measuring the height of horses) Four inches, a hand's breadth.
2. (obsolete) Three inches.
A side; part, camp; direction, either right or left.
Power of performance; means of execution; ability; skill; dexterity.
(especially in compounds) An agent; a servant, or manual laborer; a workman, trained or competent for special service or duty.
A performer more or less skilful.
An instance of helping.
Handwriting; style of penmanship.
A person's autograph or signature.
Promise, word; especially of a betrothal.
- Montague Summers (editor), The Works of Aphra Behn, volume V, page 132:
  They once made Mourning and Fasting for the Death of the English Governor, who had given his Hand to come on such a Day to 'em, and neither came nor sent; believing, when a Man's Word was past, nothing but Death could or should prevent his keeping it: And when they saw he was not dead, they ask'd him what Name they had for a Man who promis'd a Thing he did not do?
Personal possession; ownership.
(chiefly in the plural) Management, domain, control.
(colloquial, chiefly in the negative plural) A hand which is free to assist; especially due to having one's hands full or otherwise fully preoccupied.
Applause.
(historical) A Native American gambling game, involving guessing the whereabouts of bits of ivory or similar, which are passed rapidly from hand to hand.
(firearms) The small part of a gunstock near the lock, which is grasped by the hand in taking aim.
A whole rhizome of ginger.
The feel of a fabric; the impression or quality of the fabric as judged qualitatively by the sense of touch.
(archaic) Actual performance; deed; act; workmanship; agency; hence, manner of performance.
(archaic) Agency in transmission from one person to another.
(obsolete) Rate; price.

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.

(d) Contract; — commonly of marriage; for example to ask the hand; to pledge the hand

Synonyms

(part of the arm below the wrist): manus (formal), mound (obsolete), mund (obsolete), paw (of some animals)

Coordinate terms

Derived terms

Related terms

handle

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English handen, honden, from the noun (see above); and also from henden (> English hend), from Old English *hendan, ġehendan (“to seize by hand, grasp, hold”), from Proto-West Germanic *handijan, from Proto-Germanic *handijaną (“to take by hand, grasp”), from the noun (see above). Cognate with Old Frisian handa, henda (“to grasp, seize”), Middle Low German handen, henden (in derivatives), Dutch handen, henden (“to arrange, dispose, be handy”), Dutch overhandigen (“to hand, hand over”), Middle High German handen (“to cut, hew”), Middle High German henden (“to give hands to; take hold of, seize”), Old Norse henda (“to grasp, seize, take by hand”).

Verb

hand (third-person singular simple present hands, present participle handing, simple past and past participle handed)

(transitive) To give, pass or transmit with the hand, literally or figuratively.
(transitive) To lead, guide, or assist with the hand; to conduct.
(transitive, obsolete) To manage.
(transitive, obsolete) To seize; to lay hands on.
(transitive, rare) To pledge by the hand; to handfast.
(transitive, nautical) To furl (a sail).
(intransitive, obsolete) To cooperate.

Derived terms

Translations

References

“hand”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

Dahn, Danh, H-DNA, NADH, dahn, hDNA

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch hand, from Middle Dutch hant, from Old Dutch hant, from Proto-West Germanic *handu, from Proto-Germanic *handuz.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɦant/

Noun

hand (plural hande, diminutive handjie)

A hand.

Derived terms

handskoen

Danish

Pronoun

hand

Obsolete spelling of han (“he”).

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch hant, from Old Dutch hant, from Proto-West Germanic *handu, from Proto-Germanic *handuz.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɦɑnt/
Hyphenation: hand
Rhymes: -ɑnt

Noun

hand f (plural handen, diminutive handje n)

a hand of a human, other simian or other animal with fingers

Derived terms

Related terms

Descendants

Afrikaans: hand
Jersey Dutch: hānd
Negerhollands: hand, han, hant
Skepi Creole Dutch: hant
→ Caribbean Hindustani: háñth
→? Sranan Tongo: anu, hanu, han
- → Aukan: anoe

French

Etymology

Clipping of handball. Compare foot from football.

Pronunciation

^{(aspirated h)} IPA^(key): /ɑ̃d/

Noun

hand m (uncountable)

the sport handball
Synonym: handball

Limburgish

Alternative forms

handj (Central Limburgish, East Limburgish, Southeast Limburgish)
hank (Southeast Limburgish, East Limburgish)
haand (uncommon variant)
Haïnt (Eupen)

Etymology

From Middle Dutch and Old Dutch hant, from Proto-West Germanic *handu, from Proto-Germanic *handuz.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /(h)ɑnt/, /ɦ-/, /-ant/

Noun

hand f

(anatomy, common variant) A hand

Derived terms

Middle English

Etymology

From Old English hand.

Noun

hand (plural hands)

Alternative form of hond (“hand”)

Descendants

English: hand

Norwegian Bokmål

Alternative forms

hånd

Etymology

From Old Norse hǫnd, from Proto-Germanic *handuz
.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /hɑnː/
Homophones: han, hann
Rhymes: -ɑn

Noun

hand f or m (definite singular handa or handen, indefinite plural hender, definite plural hendene)

(anatomy) A hand.

Derived terms

Related terms

hanske (“glove”)

References

“hand” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Old Norse hǫnd, from Proto-Germanic *handuz. Akin to English hand.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /hɑnd/, /hɑnː/
Homophones: han, hann (in some dialects)
Rhymes: -ɑn

Noun

hand f (definite singular handa, indefinite plural hender, definite plural hendene)

(anatomy) A hand.

Derived terms

Related terms

hanske (“glove”)

References

“hand” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old English

Alternative forms

hond

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *handu, from Proto-Germanic *handuz. Cognate with Old Frisian hond, Old Saxon hand, Old High German hant, Old Norse hǫnd, Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌿𐍃 (handus).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /xɑnd/, [hɑnd]

Noun

hand f

hand

Declension

Derived terms

Descendants

Middle English: hond, hand
- English: hand
- Scots: hand, haund
- Yola: hoane

Old Frisian

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈhand/

Noun

hand f

Alternative form of hond

Old Saxon

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *handu, from Proto-Germanic *handuz. Compare Old Frisian and Old English hand, Old High German hant, Old Norse hǫnd.

Noun

hand f

A hand.

Declension

Descendants

Middle Low German: hant
- German Low German: Hand
  Westphalian:
  Westmünsterländisch: Hand
  
  Lippisch: Hand
  
  Ravensbergisch: Hand
- Plautdietsch: Haunt

Old Swedish

Etymology

From Old Norse hǫnd, from Proto-Germanic *handuz.

Noun

hand f

A hand
A direction
A behalf
A sort, kind.

Declension

Descendants

Swedish: hand

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Swedish hand, from Old Norse hǫnd, from Proto-Germanic *handuz. Cognate with Danish hånd, Norwegian hand, English hand and German Hand.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /hand/

Noun

hand c

(anatomy) a hand
(card games) a hand (set of cards held by a player)

Declension

The definite plural händren is archaic.

Synonyms

karda (colloquial)

Derived terms

References

hand in Svensk ordbok (SO)
hand in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
hand in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
Svensk MeSH