hand has definitions from the fields of zoology,anatomy,writing,cards,bridge,games,nautical,work,agriculture
1
[ noun ] (anatomy,zoology) the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

Synonyms

hook mauler mitt paw manus

Examples

"he had the hands of a surgeon" "he extended his mitt"

Used in print

(The Dallas Morning News,...)

End Gene_Raesz , who broke a hand in the Owl 's game with LSU , was back working_out with Rice_Monday , and John_Nichols , sophomore guard , moved_back into action after a week 's idleness with an ankle injury .

(The New York Times,...)

And it also stayed the hands of thousands of brooding incompetents who were meditating the abandonment of a sport whose frustrations were driving them to despair .

(The Times-Picayune, [New Orleans]...)

The results were good although they are difficult to compare with hand brushing , particularly when the individual knows how to brush his teeth properly .

This is a common symptom and the cause usually is pressure on the nerve leading to the affected hand .

The pressure may come from muscles , tendons , or bones anywhere from the neck to the hand .

2
[ verb ] place into the hands or custody of

Examples

"hand me the spoon, please" "Turn the files over to me, please" "He turned over the prisoner to his lawyers"

Used in print

(The New York Times,...)

A spectator picked_up the ball and handed it to a small boy , who dropped this suddenly hot_potato in a very playable lie .

(Clayton C. Barbeau, The Ikon....)

Warren handed him the metal box and Prevot quietly disappeared down the line .

(David Stacton, The Judges of the Secret Court....)

Payne dismounted in Madison_Place and handed the reins to Herold .

(William Maxwell, The Chateau....)

He handed Harold a key to the front_door , and cautioned him against leaving it unlocked while they were out of the apartment .

(John Dos Passos, Midcentury....)

First thing I knew he was in the kitchenette cooking_up the breakfast and I was handing Eileen her coffee-cup and she was lying there handsome as a queen among her courtiers .

3
[ noun ] (work,agriculture) a hired laborer on a farm or ranch

Examples

"the hired hand fixed the railing" "a ranch hand"

Used in print

(Joseph Chadwick, No Land Is Free....)

Two of the new hands , a Mexican named Jose_Amado and a kid known only as Laredo , were picked for the first trick of riding night herd .

It especially bothered the older hands .

Tomas , she called him - as the Mexican hands did .

(Gene Caesar, Rifle for Rent....)

( The best evidence is that he received a monthly wage of about $ 125 , very good money in an era when top hands worked for $ 30 and found . )

The hands and their bosses saw him as a lone knight of the range , waging a dedicated crusade against a lawless new society that was threatening a beloved way_of_life .

4
[ noun ] (writing) something written by hand

Synonyms

handwriting script

Examples

"she recognized his handwriting" "his hand was illegible"

Used in print

(Ann Hebson, The Lattimer Legend....)

Seeing the slanting hand , Kate knew uneasily that it was from the Yankee colonel .

(Robert L. Duncan, The Voice of Strangers....)

From the moment that Hino had first walked into the mission to ask for a job , any job - his qualifications neatly written on a piece_of_paper in a precise hand - he had been ready to become a Christian .

(Bruce Palmer, "My Brother's Keeper", Many Are...)

Let him chafe with_impatience to see Charles , rip open the note with trembling hands and read the formal report in Hillman 's beautiful , schoolmaster 's hand .

(E. Lucas Myers, "The Vindication of Dr. Nestor,"...)

date of laying , length of incubation_period , number of chicks reaching the first week , second week , fifth week , weight of hen , size of rooster 's wattles and_so_on , all scrawled out in a hand that looked more Chinese than English , the most jagged and sprawling Alex had ever seen .

5
[ noun ] ability

Examples

"he wanted to try his hand at singing"

Used in print

(Arthur Miller, "The Prophecy," in The Best...)

It all seemed - if one could have peeked in at him through one of his windows - as_though this broken nosed man with the muscular arms and wrestler 's neck was merely the caretaker trying his hand at the boss 's work .

Related terms

ability

6
[ noun ] a position given by its location to the side of an object

Examples

"objections were voiced on every hand"

Used in print

(Dan McLachlan, Jr., "Communication Networks and...)

Information beyond nearest neighbor is carried second - , third - , and fourth hand as a distortable rumor .

(William C. Smith, "Why Fear Ideas?"...)

Despite this danger , however , we are informed on every hand that ideas , not machines , are our finest tools ; they are priceless even_though they cannot be recorded on a ledger page ; they are the most valuable of commodities - and the most salable , for their demand far exceeds supply .

Related terms

side

7
[ noun ] (cards) the cards held in a card game by a given player at any given time

Synonyms

deal

Examples

"I didn't hold a good hand all evening" "he kept trying to see my hand"

Used in print

(Frederick Mosteller et al., Probability with...)

( For_instance , see Example 2 of Section 5 - 5 , on red cards in hands of 5 . )

8
[ noun ] one of two sides of an issue

Examples

"on the one hand..., but on the other hand..."

Used in print

(Peter J. White, "Report on Laos"...)

The Royal_Lao_Army , on_the other hand , was paid and equipped with American funds .

Related terms

side

9
[ noun ] a rotating pointer on the face of a timepiece

Examples

"the big hand counts the minutes"

Used in print

(John Dos Passos, Midcentury....)

I turned_around with the percolator in my hand .

10
[ verb ] guide or conduct or usher somewhere

Examples

"hand the elderly lady into the taxi"

Related terms

lead

11
[ noun ] a round of applause to signify approval

Examples

"give the little lady a great big hand"

Related terms

applause

12
[ noun ] (bridge,cards,games) a card player in a game of bridge

Synonyms

bridge_player

Examples

"we need a 4th hand for bridge"

13
[ noun ] (zoology) 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

Related terms

forepaw

14
[ noun ] a unit of length equal to 4 inches; used in measuring horses

Examples

"the horse stood 20 hands"

Related terms

handbreadth handbreath

15
[ noun ] (nautical,work) a member of the crew of a ship

Examples

"all hands on deck"

Related terms

sailor

16
[ noun ] Last name, frequency rank in the U.S. is 1463
17
[ noun ] physical assistance

Synonyms

helping_hand

Examples

"give me a hand with the chores"

Related terms

aid

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