hand

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The part of your body at the end of your arm, with fingers and a thumb.

   She picked up the pen with her right hand.

2. 2
   noun

   Help with doing something.

   Could you give me a hand with these bags?

3. 3
   noun

   One of the pointers on a clock that shows the time.

   The big hand of the clock points to the minutes.

4. 4
   noun

   Skill or ability at doing something.

   I'd love to try my hand at painting.

5. 5
   noun

   A round of clapping to show approval.

   Let's give the singer a big hand!

Common collocations

• hold someone's hand Verb + noun
• raise your hand Verb + noun
• shake hands Verb + noun
• wave your hand Verb + noun
• steady hand Adjective + noun

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 hol…

Topics