handful

Meaning

Noun

• The amount that a hand will grasp or contain.
• A hand's breadth; four inches.
• A small number, usually approximately five.
• A group or number of things; a bunch.
• Something which can only be managed with difficulty.
• A five-year prison sentence.

Related

Similar words

• fistful
• handbreadth, handsbreadth

Origin

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