hand | noun (n.) That part of the fore limb below the forearm or wrist in man and monkeys, and the corresponding part in many other animals; manus; paw. See Manus. |
| noun (n.) That which resembles, or to some extent performs the office of, a human hand |
| noun (n.) A limb of certain animals, as the foot of a hawk, or any one of the four extremities of a monkey. |
| noun (n.) An index or pointer on a dial; as, the hour or minute hand of a clock. |
| noun (n.) A measure equal to a hand's breadth, -- four inches; a palm. Chiefly used in measuring the height of horses. |
| noun (n.) Side; part; direction, either right or left. |
| noun (n.) Power of performance; means of execution; ability; skill; dexterity. |
| noun (n.) Actual performance; deed; act; workmanship; agency; hence, manner of performance. |
| noun (n.) An agent; a servant, or laborer; a workman, trained or competent for special service or duty; a performer more or less skillful; as, a deck hand; a farm hand; an old hand at speaking. |
| noun (n.) Handwriting; style of penmanship; as, a good, bad or running hand. Hence, a signature. |
| noun (n.) Personal possession; ownership; hence, control; direction; management; -- usually in the plural. |
| noun (n.) Agency in transmission from one person to another; as, to buy at first hand, that is, from the producer, or when new; at second hand, that is, when no longer in the producer's hand, or when not new. |
| noun (n.) Rate; price. |
| noun (n.) That which is, or may be, held in a hand at once |
| noun (n.) The quota of cards received from the dealer. |
| noun (n.) A bundle of tobacco leaves tied together. |
| noun (n.) The small part of a gunstock near the lock, which is grasped by the hand in taking aim. |
| noun (n.) A gambling game played by American Indians, consisting of guessing the whereabouts of bits of ivory or the like, which are passed rapidly from hand to hand. |
| verb (v. t.) To give, pass, or transmit with the hand; as, he handed them the letter. |
| verb (v. t.) To lead, guide, or assist with the hand; to conduct; as, to hand a lady into a carriage. |
| verb (v. t.) To manage; as, I hand my oar. |
| verb (v. t.) To seize; to lay hands on. |
| verb (v. t.) To pledge by the hand; to handfast. |
| verb (v. t.) To furl; -- said of a sail. |
| verb (v. i.) To cooperate. |
handicap | noun (n.) An allowance of a certain amount of time or distance in starting, granted in a race to the competitor possessing inferior advantages; or an additional weight or other hindrance imposed upon the one possessing superior advantages, in order to equalize, as much as possible, the chances of success; as, the handicap was five seconds, or ten pounds, and the like. |
| noun (n.) A race, for horses or men, or any contest of agility, strength, or skill, in which there is an allowance of time, distance, weight, or other advantage, to equalize the chances of the competitors. |
| noun (n.) An old game at cards. |
| verb (v. t.) To encumber with a handicap in any contest; hence, in general, to place at disadvantage; as, the candidate was heavily handicapped. |
handle | noun (n.) That part of vessels, instruments, etc., which is held in the hand when used or moved, as the haft of a sword, the knob of a door, the bail of a kettle, etc. |
| noun (n.) That of which use is made; the instrument for effecting a purpose; a tool. |
| verb (v. t.) To touch; to feel with the hand; to use or hold with the hand. |
| verb (v. t.) To manage in using, as a spade or a musket; to wield; often, to manage skillfully. |
| verb (v. t.) To accustom to the hand; to work upon, or take care of, with the hands. |
| verb (v. t.) To receive and transfer; to have pass through one's hands; hence, to buy and sell; as, a merchant handles a variety of goods, or a large stock. |
| verb (v. t.) To deal with; to make a business of. |
| verb (v. t.) To treat; to use, well or ill. |
| verb (v. t.) To manage; to control; to practice skill upon. |
| verb (v. t.) To use or manage in writing or speaking; to treat, as a theme, an argument, or an objection. |
| verb (v. i.) To use the hands. |
handsel | noun (n.) A sale, gift, or delivery into the hand of another; especially, a sale, gift, delivery, or using which is the first of a series, and regarded as on omen for the rest; a first installment; an earnest; as the first money received for the sale of goods in the morning, the first money taken at a shop newly opened, the first present sent to a young woman on her wedding day, etc. |
| noun (n.) Price; payment. |
| noun (n.) To give a handsel to. |
| noun (n.) To use or do for the first time, esp. so as to make fortunate or unfortunate; to try experimentally. |
hanging | noun (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Hang |
| noun (n.) The act of suspending anything; the state of being suspended. |
| noun (n.) Death by suspension; execution by a halter. |
| noun (n.) That which is hung as lining or drapery for the walls of a room, as tapestry, paper, etc., or to cover or drape a door or window; -- used chiefly in the plural. |
| adjective (a.) Requiring, deserving, or foreboding death by the halter. |
| adjective (a.) Suspended from above; pendent; as, hanging shelves. |
| adjective (a.) Adapted for sustaining a hanging object; as, the hanging post of a gate, the post which holds the hinges. |
hang | noun (n.) The manner in which one part or thing hangs upon, or is connected with, another; as, the hang of a scythe. |
| noun (n.) Connection; arrangement; plan; as, the hang of a discourse. |
| noun (n.) A sharp or steep declivity or slope. |
| verb (v. i.) To suspend; to fasten to some elevated point without support from below; -- often used with up or out; as, to hang a coat on a hook; to hang up a sign; to hang out a banner. |
| verb (v. i.) To fasten in a manner which will allow of free motion upon the point or points of suspension; -- said of a pendulum, a swing, a door, gate, etc. |
| verb (v. i.) To fit properly, as at a proper angle (a part of an implement that is swung in using), as a scythe to its snath, or an ax to its helve. |
| verb (v. i.) To put to death by suspending by the neck; -- a form of capital punishment; as, to hang a murderer. |
| verb (v. i.) To cover, decorate, or furnish by hanging pictures trophies, drapery, and the like, or by covering with paper hangings; -- said of a wall, a room, etc. |
| verb (v. i.) To paste, as paper hangings, on the walls of a room. |
| verb (v. i.) To hold or bear in a suspended or inclined manner or position instead of erect; to droop; as, he hung his head in shame. |
| verb (v. i.) To be suspended or fastened to some elevated point without support from below; to dangle; to float; to rest; to remain; to stay. |
| verb (v. i.) To be fastened in such a manner as to allow of free motion on the point or points of suspension. |
| verb (v. i.) To die or be put to death by suspension from the neck. |
| verb (v. i.) To hold for support; to depend; to cling; -- usually with on or upon; as, this question hangs on a single point. |
| verb (v. i.) To be, or be like, a suspended weight. |
| verb (v. i.) To hover; to impend; to appear threateningly; -- usually with over; as, evils hang over the country. |
| verb (v. i.) To lean or incline; to incline downward. |
| verb (v. i.) To slope down; as, hanging grounds. |
| verb (v. i.) To be undetermined or uncertain; to be in suspense; to linger; to be delayed. |
| verb (v. i.) Of a ball: To rebound unexpectedly or unusually slowly, due to backward spin on the ball or imperfections of ground. |
| verb (v. t.) To prevent from reaching a decision, esp. by refusing to join in a verdict that must be unanimous; as, one obstinate juror can hang a jury. |