handful
English
/ˈhæn(d)fʊl/
noun
Definitions
- The amount that a hand will grasp or contain.
- (obsolete) A hand's breadth; four inches.
- A small number, usually approximately five.
- A group or number of things; a bunch.
- (colloquial) Something which can only be managed with difficulty.
- (slang) A five-year prison sentence.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English handful inherited from Old English handful (handful) inherited from Proto-Germanic *handufullō, *handuz (hand) compound from English hand (style of penmanship, handwriting) + English full (plenty, entire, fullness), hand (style of penmanship, handwriting).
Origin
English
hand
Gloss
style of penmanship, handwriting
Timeline
Distribution of cognates by language
Geogrpahic distribution of cognates
Cognates and derived terms
- Quiverfull English
- aforehand English
- aircrafthand English
- back-hand English
- backhand English
- backhanded English
- barehand English
- beforehand English
- behand English
- behindhand English
- charge-hand English
- chargehand English
- chock full English
- clawhand English
- clubhand English
- counterhand English
- cowhand English
- deckhand English
- derrickhand English
- dockhand English
- doublehand English
- farmhand English
- fieldhand English
- firsthand English
- floorhand English
- forehand English
- fouth English
- freehand English
- full English
- full well English
- full-bodied English
- full-born English
- full-bosomed English
- full-bound English
- full-course yellow English
- full-eyed English
- full-faced English
- full-fledged English
- full-fleshed English
- full-flowing English
- full-fortuned English
- full-fraught English
- full-handed English
- full-hearted English
- full-hot English
- full-length English
- full-looking English
- full-mouth English
- full-souled English
- full-summed English
- full-throttle English
- full-time English
- fullage English
- fullback English
- fullcourt English
- fullen English
- fullhead English
- fulling English
- fullish English
- fullmade English
- fullness English
- fullscreen English
- fullsib English
- fullstanding English
- fullwidth English
- fullwise English
- fully English
- fulth English
- gladhand English
- gunhand English
- hand English
- hand axe English
- hand towel English
- hand-held English
- hand-hole English
- hand-to-mouth English
- handback English
- handbag English
- handball English
- handbarrow English
- handbasin English
- handbasket English
- handbell English
- handbike English
- handbill English
- handblocked English
- handblown English
- handbook English
- handbound English
- handbra English
- handbrake English
- handbreadth English
- handbuilt English
- handcar English
- handcare English
- handcarry English
- handcart English
- handclap English
- handclapper English
- handclapping English
- handclasp English
- handcloth English
- handcraft English
- handcrafted English
- handcrafter English
- handcrew English
- handcuff English
- handcuffs English
- handcycle English
- handegg English
- hander English
- handest English
- handeth English
- handfed English
- handfeed English
- handfish English
- handflower English
- handfucker English
- handgame English
- handgift English
- handglide English
- handglove English
- handgrip English
- handguard English
- handguide English
- handgun English
- handhold English
- handholdable English
- handholding English
- handhole English
- handish English
- handism English
- handiwork English
- handkerchief English
- handknit English
- handlamp English
- handless English
- handlike English
- handline English
- handlist English
- handloading English
- handlock English
- handloom English
- handly English
- handmade English
- handmaid English
- handmaiden English
- handmake English
- handman English
- handmark English
- handmill English
- handmirror English
- handout English
- handpainted English
- handpass English
- handphone English
- handpick English
- handpicked English
- handpiece English
- handplant English
- handplay English
- handpost English
- handpress English
- handprint English
- handprinted English
- handpump English
- handrail English
- handrailing English
- handraised English
- handroll English
- handrope English
- handsaw English
- handsbreadth English
- handscreened English
- handscroll English
- handsearching English
- handseller English
- handset English
- handsewn English
- handshake English
- handshaker English
- handshape English
- handshoe English
- handsies English
- handsoap English
- handsome English
- handspan English
- handspike English
- handspring English
- handspun English
- handstamp English
- handstand English
- handstick English
- handstitched English
- handstone English
- handstroke English
- handstyle English
- handtame English
- handwalker English
- handwarmer English
- handwash English
- handwasher English
- handwashing English
- handwave English
- handwaving English
- handweaver English
- handweaving English
- handweed English
- handwell English
- handwheel English
- handwhile English
- handwipe English
- handwork English
- handworked English
- handworker English
- handwoven English
- handwringer English
- handwrit English
- handwrite English
- handwriting English
- handwritten English
- handwrought English
- handy English
- kitchenhand English
- knifehand English
- leasehand English
- longhand English
- millhand English
- motorhand English
- newshand English
- nonfull English
- offhand English
- on hand English
- on-hand English
- onhand English
- overfull English
- overhand English
- ranchhand English
- ridgehand English
- right-hand English
- roundhand English
- shedhand English
- shorthand English
- side-hand English
- sleevehand English
- spacehand English
- stablehand English
- stagehand English
- stronghand English
- thirdhand English
- toforehand English
- topfull English
- trailhand English
- underfull English
- underhand English
- unfull English
- unhand English
- uphand English
- Hand German
- Handvoll German
- voll German
- full French
- a full Spanish, Castilian
- *handufullō Proto-Germanic
- *handuz Proto-Germanic
- hand Swedish
- handfull Swedish
- フル Japanese
- ful Polish
- hand Old English
- handful Old English
- full Middle English
- handful Middle English
- hond Middle English
- hǫnd Old Norse
- *xǫdogъ Proto-Slavic
- handfylli Icelandic
- hönd Icelandic
- heng Indonesian
- hant Old High German
- hantvol Middle High German
- 𐌷𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌿𐍃 Gothic
- *handu gmw-pro
- hant Old Dutch
- hond Old Frisian
- han Tok Pisin
- hanpaus Tok Pisin
- hanrait Tok Pisin
- hanwas Tok Pisin
- Hond Saterland Frisian
- Hondful Saterland Frisian
- haond Vilamovian
- anu Sranan Tongo
- handa Crimean Gothic
- an Torres Strait Creole
- han Samoan Plantation Pidgin
- full
- hand
- fully
- fouth
- fulth
- handy
- uphand
- handly
- unfull
- behand
- unhand
- hander
- onhand
- fullen
- fullish
- fulling
- fullsib
- on-hand
- gunhand
- cowhand
- handbag
- topfull
- handset
- handbra
- handsaw
- fullage
- handcar
- handout
- handman
- handish
- handeth
- handegg
- nonfull
- handfed
- handest
- on hand
- handism
- handgun
- offhand
- handsies
- handknit
- handrail
- handwash
- handlike
- handwipe
- handcare
- handfeed
- handbike
- handsewn
- handwell
- fullwise
- handhold
- handcart
- handlamp
- handpump
- handwrit
- handwave
- handloom
- gladhand
- handbell
- barehand
- handsome
- hand axe
- farmhand
- handwork
- handfish
- handplay
- handcrew
- handsoap
- handshoe
- handpick
- handgame
- freehand
- longhand
- newshand
- handrope
- handspan
- handhole
- handbook
- handmaid
- overfull
- fullmade
- handspun
- handline
- handlist
- deckhand
- handback
- backhand
- handless
- shedhand
- handweed
- clubhand
- handmake
- overhand
- handgift
- fullhead
- handmade
- handclap
- handbill
- handlock
- forehand
- millhand
- clawhand
- handmill
- handgrip
- handpost
- handcuff
- dockhand
- handpass
- handroll
- handmark
- handball
- fullback
- handtame
- fullness
- full-hot
- handstyle
- handshake
- leasehand
- underfull
- handstick
- hand-hole
- handguide
- handprint
- fullwidth
- handbuilt
- fullcourt
- handwoven
- back-hand
- handcuffs
- spacehand
- handcraft
- knifehand
- handglove
- handcycle
- handpiece
- fieldhand
- hand-held
- stagehand
- aforehand
- shorthand
- handiwork
- handshape
- handcarry
- trailhand
- handwrite
- handbrake
- handguard
- handcloth
- handspike
- motorhand
- firsthand
- handglide
- side-hand
- roundhand
- handbound
- handclasp
- full-time
- thirdhand
- full-born
- handwhile
- handwheel
- floorhand
- ridgehand
- handphone
- handbasin
- handblown
- handstone
- ranchhand
- underhand
- full well
- full-eyed
- handpress
- handstand
- handplant
- handstamp
- handworker
- handwasher
- backhanded
- chock full
- handwalker
- Quiverfull
- handbasket
- handfucker
- handspring
- handpicked
- beforehand
- doublehand
- right-hand
- sleevehand
- handweaver
- full-bound
- handflower
- stablehand
- handseller
- handwarmer
- chargehand
- handshaker
- handwaving
- handmaiden
- handmirror
- hand towel
- handscroll
- handraised
- handbarrow
- toforehand
- behindhand
- handworked
- full-mouth
- fullscreen
- handstroke
- full-faced
- stronghand
- handweaving
- handwriting
- derrickhand
- charge-hand
- full-handed
- handcrafted
- handwrought
- handwritten
- full-souled
- counterhand
- handcrafter
- full-length
- kitchenhand
- full-summed
- handloading
- handpainted
- handholding
- handwringer
- full-bodied
- handblocked
- handclapper
- handprinted
- handwashing
- handrailing
- handbreadth
- full-bosomed
- full-flowing
- full-looking
- aircrafthand
- full-fleshed
- full-fraught
- handsbreadth
- handstitched
- full-fledged
- handkerchief
- handclapping
- full-hearted
- handscreened
- handholdable
- fullstanding
- handsearching
- full-throttle
- hand-to-mouth
- full-fortuned
- full-course yellow