hand

hand1 [ hænd ] noun ***

▸ 1 body part at end of arm

▸ 2 help

▸ 3 clapping

▸ 4 part of clock

▸ 5 set of cards you hold

▸ 6 advantages in situation

▸ 7 someone working on farm/ship

▸ 8 handwriting

▸ 9 unit of height of horses

▸ + PHRASES

1. ) count the part of your body at the end of each arm that you use for picking up and holding things:

Mrs. Bennet put her hands over her ears to shut out the noise.

have/hold something in your hand: He was holding a mug of coffee in his left hand.

hold someone's hand: He sat by the bed and held her hand.

take someone by the hand: George took her by the hand and helped her out of the car.

hold hands (=hold each other's hands): The park was full of young couples holding hands.

hand in hand (=holding each other's hand): They walked along the cliff top hand in hand.

shake hands: The two men introduced themselves and shook hands.

2. ) singular help:

give someone a hand (=help someone): Can you give me a hand with these boxes?

like/want/need a hand: Do you need a hand with the dusting?

lend a hand (=help): Lydia said she would lend a hand with the costumes.

3. ) singular if people give someone a hand, they CLAP their hands to show that they have enjoyed a performance:

a big hand for someone: A big hand for the band, ladies and gentlemen!

give someone a big hand: Let's give the children a big hand.

4. ) count the hands on a clock are the long parts that move around and show the time

5. ) count the set of cards that have been given to you in a game of cards

6. ) singular INFORMAL the advantages you have that give you a chance to be successful in a particular situation:

play your hand (=use your advantages): Everything depends on how the company plays its hand.

show/tip your hand (=let an opponent know what your advantages are): The trick is not to show your hand too early.

7. ) count someone who does physical work

a ) someone who works on a farm:

It was a large farm, with over 20 hired hands.

b ) someone who works on a ship

8. ) count MAINLY LITERARY someone's HANDWRITING

9. ) count a unit for measuring how tall a horse is

at hand

very close to you and easy to reach:

Help is always at hand if you need it.

close/near at hand: I always keep my calculator close at hand.

at the hands of someone

if you suffer or die at the hands of someone, they make you suffer or die:

They suffered defeat at the hands of the French.

by hand

1. ) using your hands rather than a machine

2. ) if a letter is delivered by hand, it is not delivered by the mail service

first/second/third hand

if you experience something first hand, you experience it yourself. If you experience something second hand or third hand, someone else tells you about it.

get/lay your hands on something

to manage to obtain something:

I couldn't lay my hands on a copy of the book.

go hand in hand

to happen or exist together:

Economic success and job creation go hand in hand.

hand in glove

if you work hand in glove with someone, you work very closely with them

someone's hand in marriage OLD-FASHIONED

permission to marry a particular woman

hand over fist INFORMAL

if you make or spend money hand over fist, you earn or spend it in very large amounts

someone's hands are tied

someone cannot do what they want to do because something such as a rule or law prevents it

hands off

used for telling someone not to touch or take something

hands up

1. ) used for asking people to tell you if they know the answer to a question

2. ) used by someone who is pointing a gun at people to tell them to raise both their hands

3. ) used for asking people to tell you if they want something

have/get someone eating out of your hand

to be in a situation in which someone will do anything that you want them to do

have a hand in something

to help make something happen

have someone/something on your hands

to have a person or a problem that you must deal with

have time on your hands

to have more time available than you need

have your hands full

to be extremely busy with a difficult job

in hand

1. ) if something is in hand, you are already dealing with it

2. ) if you have something in hand, you are managing it well so that it happens in the way it should

3. ) BRITISH if a player or team has a game in hand, they have played one game less than an opponent

in someone's hands

if something is in someone's hands, they are responsible for it:

The company is now in the hands of the bank.

in good/safe hands: I knew that Rebecca was in safe hands with my parents.

keep your hand in

to practice something so that you are still able to do it well

keep your hands off INFORMAL

to not touch someone or something

off hand

if you do not know something off hand, you cannot remember the information but you could find it out

on hand

if someone is on hand, they are available to help you if you need them

on the one hand ... on the other hand

used for giving two different opinions about something:

On the one hand, expansion would be good, but on the other hand it would be sad to lose the family atmosphere.

on (your) hands and knees

on the floor, with your hands and your lower legs on the ground

out of hand

not well controlled:

get out of hand: We decided to leave before things got out of hand.

out of your hands

if something is out of your hands, someone else is now in charge of it

take/get your hands off INFORMAL

to stop touching someone or something

take someone in hand

to start controlling someone who has been behaving badly

to hand BRITISH

near where you are and therefore available to use

turn your hand to something

to start doing something new, especially something that involves skill:

The former model has now turned her hand to acting.

=> DECK1, FORCE 2, HANDS DOWN, LIVE1, PUMP1, UPPER1

hand

hand 2 [ hænd ] verb transitive ***

to give something to someone by holding it in your hand and offering it to them:

hand something to someone: Talbot handed the paper to the man.

hand someone something: Sarah handed me an envelope.

you have to hand it to someone SPOKEN

used for saying that you admire someone for something they have done

,hand `back phrasal verb transitive

to give something back to someone:

hand something back to someone: Jean handed the letter back to Doug.

hand someone something back: The officer handed me my passport back.

,hand `down phrasal verb transitive

1. ) to give knowledge or skill to someone who is younger than you and will live after you have died:

These skills have been handed down from generation to generation.

2. ) to give clothes, toys, etc. to a younger child when an older child no longer needs them

hand down a judgment/sentence/punishment

to say officially that someone will receive a particular punishment

,hand `in phrasal verb transitive

to give something to a person in authority:

Please hand in your keys when you leave the hotel.

All term papers must be handed in by Tuesday.

,hand `on phrasal verb transitive BRITISH

to give someone something that was given to you:

I decided not to hand this information on to the police.

,hand `out phrasal verb transitive

to give things to different people in a group:

Ralph was handing out drinks.

Would you hand these papers out for me?

hand out a punishment/sentence

to say officially that someone will receive a particular punishment

,hand `over phrasal verb

1. ) transitive to give something to someone by holding it in your hand and offering it to them:

Albert bowed and handed over the letter.

hand over to: He handed the car keys over to Stella.

2. ) transitive to give someone to the police or another authority that will become responsible for them:

hand over to: The suspects have now been handed over to the French authorities.

3. ) intransitive or transitive to give power or control to someone else:

hand over to: They formally hand power over to the new government next week.