hand
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
How often you will meet it
Rank 130 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 193,010 times across 155,370 chapters — 0.092% of every word in the library.
It belongs to the first 500 words, the band worth learning before any other.
What it means
noun
- the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb also: manus, mitt, paw he had the hands of a surgeonhe extended his mitt
- a hired laborer on a farm or ranch also: hired hand, hired man the hired hand fixed the railinga ranch hand
- something written by hand also: handwriting, script she recognized his handwritinghis hand was illegible
- ability he wanted to try his hand at singing
- a position given by its location to the side of an object objections were voiced on every hand
- the cards held in a card game by a given player at any given time also: deal I didn't hold a good hand all eveninghe kept trying to see my hand
hand in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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For many years he had been living hand and glove with life and death.
The Betrayal · E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim · Chapter 1
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Then dropping the food in his hand back to the ground, he noiselessly melted into the bushes again.
The Heart of the Hills · John, Jr. Fox · Chapter 1
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They suffered her to touch a little hand of each, passively rather than unwillingly, and let it go.
Christian's Mistake · Dinah Maria Mulock Craik · Chapter 1
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Have your stage hands, prompter, property managers, scene painters and all your assistants on hand at every rehearsal, if possible.
The White Christmas and other Merry · Walter Ben Hare · Chapter 1
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The dominating, unhurried note rang, echoed, and began to die away as they saw Brant's hand fall on Bob Floyd's shoulder.
The Courage of the Commonplace · Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews · Chapter 1