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Noun: hand  hand
  1. The (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
    "he had the hands of a surgeon";
    - manus, mitt, paw
     
  2. A hired labourer on a farm or ranch
    "the hired hand fixed the railing"; "a ranch hand";
    - hired hand, hired man
     
  3. Something written by hand
    "his hand was illegible";
    - handwriting, script
     
  4. Ability
    "he wanted to try his hand at singing"
     
  5. A position given by its location to the side of an object
    "objections were voiced on every hand"
     
  6. The cards held in a card game by a given player at any given time
    "he kept trying to see my hand"; "I didn't hold a good hand all evening";
    - deal
     
  7. One of two sides of an issue
    "on the one hand..., but on the other hand..."
     
  8. A rotating pointer on the face of a timepiece
    "the big hand counts the minutes"
     
  9. A unit of length equal to 4 inches; used in measuring horses
    "the horse stood 20 hands"
     
  10. A member of the crew of a ship
    "all hands on deck"
     
  11. A card player in a game of bridge
    "we need a 4th hand for bridge";
    - bridge player
     
  12. A round of applause to signify approval
    "give the little lady a great big hand"
     
  13. Terminal part of the forelimb in certain vertebrates (e.g. apes or kangaroos)
    "the kangaroo's forearms seem undeveloped but the powerful five-fingered hands are skilled at feinting and clouting"
     
  14. Physical assistance
    "give me a hand with the chores";
    - helping hand
Verb: hand  hand
  1. Place into the hands or custody of
    "hand me the spoon, please";
    - pass, reach, pass on, turn over, give
     
  2. Guide, conduct or usher somewhere
    "hand the elderly lady into the taxi"

Derived forms: handed, handing, hands

Type of: ability, accumulation, aggregation, aid, applause, assemblage, assist, assistance, card player, clapping, collection, conduct, crewman, direct, extremity, forepaw, guide, hand clapping, handbreadth, handsbreadth, help, jack, laborer [US], labourer [Brit, Cdn], lead, manual laborer [US], manual labourer [Brit, Cdn], pointer, power, sailor, side, take, transfer, writing

Part of: arm, homo, horologe [archaic], human, human being, man, timekeeper, timepiece

Encyclopedia: Hand, South Carolina