handful

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a small number or amount

   only a handful of responses were received

2. 2
   noun

   The amount that a hand will grasp or contain.

   I put two or three corns in my mouth, liked it, stole a handful, went into my chamber, chewed it, and for two months after never failed taking toll of every pennyworth of oatmeal that came into the house: […]

3. 3
   noun

   A hand's breadth; four inches.

   Knap the tongs together about a handful from the bottom.

4. 4
   noun

   A small number, usually approximately five.

   This handful of men were tied to very hard duty.

5. 5
   noun

   A group or number of things; a bunch.

   But, aunt, she must have had some kind of education, her accent was so pure, her English so unfaulty. The other girl dropped her h's by handfuls, and made some very wild confusion in her native etymology.

6. 6
   noun

   Something which can only be managed with difficulty.

   Those twins are a real handful to look after.

7. 7
   noun

   the quantity that can be held in the hand

8. 8
   noun

   A five-year prison sentence.

Etymology

From Middle English handful, hondful, from Old English handfull (“handful”), from Proto-Germanic *handufullō, *handufulliz (“handful”), from Proto-Germanic *handuz (“hand”) + *fullaz (“full”); equivalent to hand + full (“fullness, plenty”) or hand + -ful. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Hondful (“handful”), West Frisian hânfol (“handful”), Dutch handvol (“handful”), German Handvoll (“handful”), Danish håndfuld (“handful”), Swedish handfull (“handful”), Icelandic handfylli (“handful”).