handle

Meanings

Noun

  • The part of an object which is (designed to be) held in the hand when used or moved.
  • An instrument for effecting a purpose (either literally or figuratively); a tool, or an opportunity or pretext.
  • The gross amount of wagering within a given period of time or for a given event at one of more establishments.
  • The tactile qualities of a fabric, e.g., softness, firmness, elasticity, fineness, resilience, and other qualities perceived by touch.
  • A name, nickname or pseudonym.
  • A title attached to one's name, such as Doctor or Colonel.
  • A reference to an object or structure that can be stored in a variable.
  • A 10 fluid ounce (285 mL) glass of beer.
  • A half-gallon (1.75-liter) bottle of alcohol.
  • A point, an extremity of land.
  • A topological space homeomorphic to a ball but viewed as a product of two lower-dimensional balls.
  • The smooth, irreducible subcurve of a comb which connects to each of the other components in exactly one point.

Verb

  • To touch; to feel or hold with the hand(s).
  • To accustom to the hand; to take care of with the hands.
  • To manage, use, or wield with the hands.
  • To manage, control, or direct.
  • To treat, to deal with (in a specified way).
  • To deal with (a subject, argument, topic, or theme) in speaking, in writing, or in art.
  • To receive and transfer; to have pass through one's hands; hence, to buy and sell.
  • To be concerned with; to be an expert in.
  • To put up with; to endure (and continue to function).
  • To use the hands.
  • To illegally touch the ball with the hand or arm; to commit handball.
  • To behave in a particular way when handled (managed, controlled, directed).

Related

Similar words

Narrower meaning words

Origin

  • From Middle English handel, handle, from Old English handle ("a handle"), from handlian. See verb below. Cognate with Danish handel ("a handle").
  • From Middle English handlen, from Old English handlian ("to handle, feel, deal with, discuss"), from Proto-Germanic *handlōną, equivalent to hand + -le. Cognate with West Frisian hanneljen, hanljen, Dutch handelen, German handeln, Swedish handla, Icelandic höndla.

Modern English dictionary

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