Meanings
-
1
noun
a unit or distance equal to the breadth of a hand, roughly four inches or ten centimetres
The window stood open by no more than a handbreadth.
Thesaurus
Etymology
An alteration of Middle English handbrede or hondbrede under the influence of breadth, equivalent to hand plus breadth. Related hand-based measures include the palm and handspan, though their exact values have varied by period and place.