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Definition: Hand |
HandNoun1. The (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb; "he had the hands of a surgeon"; "he extended his mitt". 2. A hired laborer on a farm or ranch; "the hired hand fixed the railing"; "a ranch hand". 3. Something written by hand; "she recognized his handwriting"; "his hand was illegible". 4. Ability; "he wanted to try his hand at singing". 5. A position given by its location to the side of an object; "objections were voiced on every hand". 6. The cards held in a card game by a given player at any given time; "I didn't hold a good hand all evening"; "he kept trying to see my hand". 7. One of two sides of an issue; "on the one hand..., but on the other hand...". 8. A rotating pointer on the face of a timepiece; "the big hand counts the minutes". 9. A unit of length equal to 4 inches; used in measuring horses; "the horse stood 20 hands". 10. : a member of the crew of a ship; "all hands on deck". 11. : a card player in a game of bridge; "we need a 4th hand for bridge". 12. : a round of applause to signify approval; "give the little lady a great big hand". 13. : terminal part of the forelimb in certain vertebrates (e.g. apes or kangaroos): "the kangaroo's forearms seem undeveloped but the powerful five-fingered hands are skilled at feinting and clouting"- Springfield (Mass.) Union. 14. : physical assistance; "give me a hand with the chores". Verb1. Place into the hands or custody of; "Turn the files over to me, please"; "He turned over the prisoner to his lawyers". Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "hand" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1010. (references) |
Etymology: Hand \Hand\, noun. [Anglo-Saxon hand, hond; akin to D., G., & Swedish hand, Old High German hant, Danish haand, Icelandic h["o]nd, Gothic handus, and perhaps to Gothic hinpan to seize (in comp.). Compare to Hunt.]. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Satire | HAND, n. A singular instrument worn at the end of the human arm and commonly thrust into somebody's pocket. Source: Devil's Dictionary. |
Computing | HAND // [Usenet: very common] Abbreviation: Have A Nice Day. Typically used to close a Usenet posting, but also used to informally close emails; often preceded by HTH. Source: Jargon File. |
Industry | Indicates hours, minutes and seconds. Source: European Union. (references) |
19th Century Satire | A much desired possession, supplied by The Damsel or The Dealer. GLAD HAND. The beggar's plea, the politician's sceptre and the drummer's ablest assistant. Source: Foolish Dictionary, 1904. |
Bible | Hand Called by Galen "the instrument of instruments." It is the symbol of human action (Ps. 9:16; Job 9:30; Isa. 1:15; 1 Tim. 2:8). Washing the hands was a symbol of innocence (Ps. 26:6; 73:13; Matt. 27:24), also of sanctification (1 Cor. 6:11; Isa. 51:16; Ps. 24:3, 4). In Ps. 77:2 the correct rendering is, as in the Revised Version, "My hand was stretched out," etc., instead of, as in the Authorized Version, "My sore ran in the night," etc. The right hand denoted the south, and the left the north (Job 23:9; 1 Sam. 23:19). To give the right hand was a pledge of fidelity (2 Kings 10:15; Ezra 10:19); also of submission to the victors (Ezek. 17:18; Jer. 50:15). The right hand was lifted up in taking an oath (Gen. 14:22, etc.). The hand is frequently mentioned, particularly the right hand, as a symbol of power and strength (Ps. 60:5; Isa. 28:2). To kiss the hand is an act of homage (1 Kings 19:18; Job 31:27), and to pour water on one's hands is to serve him (2 Kings 3:11). The hand of God is the symbol of his power: its being upon one denotes favour (Ezra 7:6, 28; Isa. 1:25; Luke 1:66, etc.) or punishment (Ex. 9:3; Judg. 2:15; Acts 13:11, etc.). A position at the right hand was regarded as the chief place of honour and power (Ps. 45:9; 80:17; 110:1; Matt. 26:64). Source: Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary. |
Dream Interpretation | If you see beautiful hands in your dream, you will enjoy great distinction, and rise rapidly in your calling; but ugly and malformed hands point to disappointments and poverty. To see blood on them, denotes estrangement and unjust censure from members of your family. If you have an injured hand, some person will succeed to what you are striving most to obtain. To see a detached hand, indicates a solitary life, that is, people will fail to understand your views and feelings. To burn your hands, you will overreach the bounds of reason in your struggles for wealth and fame, and lose thereby. To see your hands covered with hair, denotes that you will not become a solid and leading factor in your circle. To see your hands enlarged, denotes a quick advancement in your affairs. To see them smaller, the reverse is predicted. To see your hands soiled, denotes that you will be envious and unjust to others. To wash your hands, you will participate in some joyous festivity. For a woman to admire her own hands, is proof that she will win and hold the sincere regard of the man she prizes above all others. To admire the hands of others, she will be subjected to the whims of a jealous man. To have a man hold her hands, she will be enticed into illicit engagements. If she lets others kiss her hands, she will have gossips busy with her reputation. To handle fire without burning her hands, she will rise to high rank and commanding positions. To dream that your hands are tied, denotes that you will be involved in difficulties. In loosening them, you will force others to submit to your dictations. Source: Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted .... |
Industry | The reaction of the sense of touch, when fabrics are held in the hand. Source: European Union. (references) |
Literature | Hand A measure of length = four inches. Horses are measured up the fore leg to the shoulder, and are called 14, 15, 16 (as it may be), hands high. I. ~~~Hand Hand (A). A symbol of fortitude in Egypt, of fidelity in Rome. Two hands symbolise concord; and a hand laid on the head of a person indicates the right of property. Thus if a person laid claim to a slave, he laid his hand upon him in the presence of the prætor. (Aulus Gellius, xx. 19.) By a closed hand Zeno represented dialectics, and by an open hand eloquence. Previous to the twelfth century the Supreme Being was represented by a hand extended from the clouds; sometimes the hand is open, with rays issuing from the fingers, but generally it is in the act of benediction, i.e. with two fingers raised. Ii. ~~~Hand. Hand. (The final word.) BEAR A HAND. Come and help. Bend to your work immediately. CAP IN HAND. Suppliantly, humbly; as, "To come cap in hand." DEAD MAN'S HAND. It is said that carrying a dead man's hand will produce a dead sleep. Another superstition is that a lighted candle placed in the hand of a dead man gives no light to anyone but him who carries the hand. Hence burglars, even to the present day in some parts of Ireland, employ this method of concealment. EMPTY HAND. An empty hand is no lure for a hawk. You must not expect to receive anything without giving a return. The Germans say, Wer schmiert der fährt. The Latin proverb is Da, si vis accipere, or Pro nihilo, nihil fit. HEAVY HAND, as "To rule with a heavy hand," severely, with oppression. OLD HAND (An). One experienced. POOR HAND (A). An unskilful one. "He is but a poor hand at it," i.e. he is not skilful at the work. RED HAND, or bloody hand, in coat armour is generally connected with some traditional tale of blood, and the badge was never to be expunged till the bearer had passed, by way of penance, seven years in a cave, without companion, without shaving, and without uttering a single word. In Aston church, near Birmingham, is a coat-armorial of the Holts. the "bloody hand" of which is thus accounted for: - It is said that Sir Thomas Holt, some two hundred years ago, murdered his cook in a cellar with a spit, and, when pardoned for the offence, the king enjoined him, by way of penalty, to wear ever after a "bloody hand" in his family coat. In the church of Stoke d'Abernon, Surrey, there is a red hand upon a monument, the legend of which is, that a gentleman shooting with a friend was so mortified at meeting with no game that he swore he would shoot the first live thing he met. A miller was the victim of this rash vow, and the "bloody hand" was placed in his family coat to keep up a perpetual memorial of the crime. Similar legends are told of the red hand in Wateringbury church, Kent; of the red hand on a table in the hall of Church-Gresly, in Derbyshire; and of many others. The open red hand, forming part of the arms of the province of Ulster, commemorates the daring of O'Neile, a bold adventurer, who vowed to be first to touch the shore of Ireland. Finding the boat in which he was rowed outstripped by others, he cut off his hand and flung it to the shore, to touch it before those in advance could land. The open red hand in the armorial coat of baronets arose thus: - James I. in 1611 created two hundred baronets on the payment of £1,000 each, ostensibly "for the amelioration of Ulster," and from this connection with Ulster they were allowed to place on their coat armour the "open red hand," up to that time borne by the O'Neiles. The O'Neile whose estates were made forfeit by King James was surnamed Lamb-derig Eirin (red-hand of Erin). RIGHT HAND. He is my right hand. In France, C'est mon bras droit, my best man. SECOND-HAND. (See Second.) UPPER HAND. To get the upper hand. To obtain the mastery. YOUNG HAND (A). A young and inexperienced workman. Source: Brewer's Dictionary. |
Mining | Measurement of height of mine haulage animals equivalent to 4 in (10.2cm). (references) |
Slang in 1811 | HAND. A sailor. We lost a hand; we lost a sailor. Bear a hand; make haste. Hand to fist; opposite: the same as tete-a-tete, or cheek by joul. Source: 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
A human left handThe hand is a portion of the arm or anterior limb of a human or other primate, at where the appendage terminates. This part of the limb is especially used in grasping and holding. The left hand is the mirror image of the right hand.
What constitutes a hand?
Although many mammals and other animals have grasping appendages similar in form to a hand, these are scientifically not considered to be so, and have other varying names, including paws. Using the term hand is merely a scientific usage of anthropomorphization, to distinguish the terminations of the front paws from the hind ones. The only true hands appear in the mammalian order of primates. Hands must also feature opposable thumbs, as described later in the text.
Structure of the Hand
The hand consists of a broad palm (metacarpus) with five digits, attached to the forearm by a joint called the wrist (carpus).
Digits
The Four Fingers
The four fingers on the hand are located at the outermost edge of the palm. These four digits can be folded over the palm, this allows for the holding of objects, and furthermore the grasping of small objects.
The Thumb
The thumb (connected to the trapezium) is located on one the sides, parallel to the arm. The thumb can be easily rotated 90º, on a perpendicular level compared to the palm, unlike the fingers which can only be rotated approximately 45º. A reliable way of identifying true hands is from the presence of opposable thumbs. Other than opossums (Daubentoniidae), lemurs (Daubentoniidae) and the now extinct dinosaurs, this is a unique feature. Opposable thumbs are identified by the ability to be brought opposite to the fingers.
Bones
The human hand has at least 27 bones: the carpus or wrist account for 8; the metacarpus or palm contains 5; the remaining 14 are digital bones.
Bones of the wrist
The wrist has eight bones, arranged in two rows of four. These bones fit into a shallow socket formed by the bones of the forearm.
Bones of the palm
The palm has 5 bones, one to each of the 5 digits.
Digital bones
Also called phalanges, hands contain 14 of them; 2 in the thumb, and 3 in each of the four fingers (called distal phalanx, carrying the nail, middle phalanx and proximal phalanx. The thumb has no middle phalanx).
Sesamoid bones
Sesamoid bones are small ossified nodes embedded in the tendons to provide extra leverage and reduce pressure on the underlying tissue. Many exist around the palm at the bases of the digits, but the exact number varies between different people. The patella is the largest example of a sesamoid bone in the human body.
Muscles and Tendons
The movements of the human hand are accomplished by two sets of each of these tissues. They can be subdivided into two groups: the extrinsic and intrinsic muscle groups. The extrinsic muscle groups are the long flexors and extonsors. They are called extrinsic because the muscle belly is located on the forearm.
Intrinsic Hand Muscles
The Intrinsic muscle groups are the thenar and hypothenar muscles (thenar = thumb, hypothenar = little finger), the interosseus muscles (between the metacarpal bones, four dorsally and three volarly) and the lumbrical muscles. These muscles arise from the deep flexor (and are special because they have no bony origin) and insert on the dorsal extensor hood mechanism.
The Extrinsic Muscles of the Hand
The Flexors
The fingers have two long flexors, located on the underside of the forearm. They insert by tendons to the phalanges of the fingers. The deep flexor attaches to the distal phalanx, and the superficial flexor attaches to the middle phalanx. The flexors allow for the actual bending of the fingers. The thumb has one long flexor and a short flexor in the thenar muscle group. The human thumb also has other muscles in the thenar group (opponens- and abductor muscle), moving the thumb in opposition, making grasping possible.
The Extensors
Located on the back of the forearm and a connected in a more complex way then the flexors to the dorsum of the fingers. The tendons unite with the interosseous and lumbrical muscles to form the extensorhood mechanism. The primary function of the extensors is to straighten out the digits. The thumb has two extensors in the forearm; the tendons of these form the anatomical snuff box. Also, the index finger and the little finger have an extra extensor, used for instance for pointing.
Articulation
Also of note is that the articulation of the human hand is more complex and delicate than that of comparable organs in any other animals. Without this extra articulation, we would not be able to operate a wide variety of tools and devices. The hand can also form a fist, for example in combat, or as a gesture.See also: Common uses in of the word hand in the English language, hand (clock), hand (measurement), hand (mechanisms), hand (language).
Common uses in English language
I know it like the back of my hand - English phrase used to say that the subject knows the matter perfectly, as if it was part of their body, or that they were born with the knowledge. Related: Second hand.Second hand - Similar to "I know it like the back of my hand," in that it is definitely known by the subject. Similar to something being described as second nature. Not to be confused with second-hand goods, which have already been used before, and are being resold.
A man may also describe somebody as his right hand man, which means that he relies heavily on this person.
A hand is also:
- A measurement of length, primarily used for the height of horses, see hand (unit of length).
- Something that is like a human hand, such as the rotating pointer on the face of a clock with analog display or on a gauge or dial (hand (mechanisms)).
- A hand (language) used in print materials, which is used to call attention to a particular paragraph or point; a lateral direction, (for example, "there is a button malfunctioning on the right hand side of the remote control."), hand (direction).
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Hand."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
A hand is a unit of measurement, used for the height of horses in the US and the UK: in this context, one hand equals four inches (10.2 cm).Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Hand (unit of length)."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
The word hand in the game of poker is used to mean any of the following:
There are many poker variantss, but unless otherwise specified in the rules of the variant being played, hands are evaluated using the traditional set of five-card hands. These are, from worst to best:
- The set of cards held by an individual player during play. Joe took another look at his hand when Virginia raised. The term holding can be used for less ambiguity.
- The value of a player's hand(1), as determined by the rules of the game being played (see below). Karen's hand was a flush, but lost to Steve's full house. The term hand value can be used for less ambiguity.
- A single instance of poker game play, also called a deal. We played eight hands of draw poker, then eight hands of stud poker.
These hands are called the traditional hands or high hands.
- No pair (for example, A-Q-10-5-2)
- One pair (for example, 10-10-K-7-4)
- Two pair (for example, K-K-9-9-J)
- Three of a kind (for example, 4-4-4-K-9)
- Straight (for example, 9-8-7-6-5)
- Flush (for example, K-J-8-7-4 of one suit)
- Full house (for example, 2-2-2-Q-Q)
- Four of a kind (for example, J-J-J-J-6)
- Straight flush (for example, Q-J-10-9-8 of one suit)
- Five of a kind (for example, 6-6-6-6-(Wild), only possible in Wild card games)
Some games called lowball or low poker are played where players strive not for the highest ranking of the above combinations but for the lowest ranking hand. There are three methods of ranking low hands, called Ace-to-five low, Deuce-to-seven low, and Ace-to-six low. The ace-to-five method is most common.
Certain variants use hands of only three cards, either high or low. Three-card low hands can be ranked by any of the three methods above, although with three cards they become ace-to-three (rather than ace-to-five), deuce-to-five, and ace-to-four. The ace-to-three method is the most common, just as the ace-to-five method is most common method for five cards. Three-card high hands are ranked in one of two ways: either with or without straights and flushes. Without (which is the most common, and used such games as Chinese poker), the hands are simply no pair, one pair, and three of a kind. If you add straights and flushes, the order of hands should be changed to reflect the correct probabilities: no pair, one pair, flush, straight, three of a kind, straight flush. This order is used, for example, in Mambo stud.
Some poker games are played with a deck that has been stripped of certain cards, usually low-ranking ones. For example, the Australian game of Manila uses a 32-card deck in which all cards below the rank of 7 are removed, and Mexican stud removes the 8s, 9s, and 10s. In both of these games, a flush ranks above a full house, because having fewer cards of each suit available makes flushes rarer.
Some games add one or more Unconventional handss, or have special exceptions to the rules above. For example, in the game of Pai Gow Poker as played in Nevada, a Wheel (5-4-3-2-A) ranks above a king-high straight, but below an ace-high straight. This is not the case in California, where the nearly identical game is played under the name Double-hand poker using traditional hand values.
General rules
The following general rules apply to evaluating poker hands, whatever set of hand values are used.
Individual card ranks are often used to evaluate hands that contain no pairs or other special combinations, or to rank the kickers of otherwise equal hands. The Ace is ranked low in ace-to-five and ace-to-six lowball games.
- Individual cards are ranked A (high), K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 (low).
The suits of the cards are mainly used in determining whether a hand fits a certain category (specifically the Flush and Straight flush hands), but rarely does one poker hand rank above another solely because of suit. In most variants, if two players have hands that are identical except for suit, then they are tied and split the pot. Sometimes a ranking called high card by suit is also used for randomly selecting a player to deal.
- Suits have no value.
In games where more than five cards are available to each player, hands are ranked by choosing some five-card subset according to the rules of the game, and comparing that five-card hand against the five-card hands of the other players. Whatever cards remain after choosing the five to be played are of no consequence in determining the winner.
- A poker hand consists of five cards.
That is, even the minimum qualifying hand in a certain category defeats all hands in all lower categories. The smallest Two pair hand, for example, defeats all hands with just One pair or No pair. Only between two hands in the same category are card ranks used to break ties.
- Hands are ranked first by category, then by individual card ranks.
For ease of explanation, hands are shown here neatly arranged, but a poker hand is the same no matter what order the cards are received in.
- The order in which cards are dealt is unimportant.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Poker hand."
| The following table is compiled from various sources, across various languages. When English abbreviations or acronyms come from a non-English source, this is noted. | |||
| Entry | Source | Expression | Field |
HAND | English | Have A Nice Day | Computer - (slang, Usenet, IRC) |
Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |||
Synonyms: HandSynonyms: bridge player (n), deal (n), handwriting (n), helping hand (n), hired hand (n), hired man (n), manus (n), mitt (n), paw (n), script (n), give (v), pass (v), pass on (v), reach (v), turn over (v). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Agent | Workman, artisan; craftsman, handicraftsman; mechanic, operative; working man; laboring man; demiurgus, hewers of wood and drawers of water, laborer, navvy; hand, man, day laborer, journeyman, charwoman, hack; mere tool; beast of burden, drudge, fag; lumper, roustabout. |
Compensation | Adverb: in return, in consideration; but, however, yet, still, notwithstanding; nevertheless, nathless, none the less; although, though; albeit, howbeit; mauger; at all events, at any rate; be that as it may, for all that, even so, on the other, hand, at the same time, quoad minus, quand meme, however that may be; after all is said and done; taking one thing with another; (average). |
Giving | Verb: deliver, hand, pass, put into the hands of; hand over, make over, deliver over, pass over, turn over; assign dower. |
Indication | Signature, mark, autograph, autography; attestation; hand, hand writing, sign manual; cipher; seal, sigil, signet, hand and seal; paraph, brand; superscription; indorsement, endorsement. |
Beacon, cairn, post, staff, flagstaff, hand, pointer, vane, weathercock; guidepost, handpost, fingerpost, directing post, signpost; pillars of Hercules, pharos; bale-fire, beacon-fire; l'etoile du Nord; landmark, seamark; lighthouse, balize; polestar, loadstar, lodestar; cynosure, guide; address, direction, name; sign, signboard. | |
Instrumentality | Noun: instrumentality; aid; subservience, subserviency; mediation, intervention, medium, intermedium, vehicle, hand; agency. |
Laterality | Noun: laterality; side, flank, quarter, lee; hand; cheek, jowl, jole, wing; profile; temple, parietes, loin, haunch, hip; beam. |
Length | Line, nail, inch, hand, palm, foot, cubit, yard, ell, fathom, rood, pole, furlong, mile, league; chain, link; arpent, handbreadth, jornada, kos, vara. |
Mankind | Human being; person, personage; individual, creature, fellow creature, mortal, body, somebody; one; such a one, some one; soul, living soul; earthling; party, head, hand; dramatis personae; quidam. |
Retention | Paw, hand, finger, wrist, fist, neaf, neif. |
Transfer | Verb: transfer, convey; alienate, alien; assign; grant; (confer); consign; make over, hand over; pass, hand, transmit, negotiate; hand down; exchange;(interchange). |
Writing | Copy; transcript, rescript; rough copy, fair copy; handwriting; signature, sign manual; autograph, monograph, holograph; hand, fist. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world (The Hand that Rocks the Cradle ; writing credit: Amanda Silver) Touch me and that hand will never touch anything again (The Matrix Reloaded; writing credit: Andy Wachowski; Larry Wachowski) Cold be heart and hand and bones, cold be travelers far from home they do not see what lies ahead when sun has failed and moon is dead (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers; writing credit: Frances Walsh) I hope to see my friend, and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams (The Shawshank Redemption; writing credit: Frank Darabont) It requires hand and eye coordination (Big; writing credit: Gary Ross; Anne Spielberg) | |
Lyrics | We'll take 'em by the hand (Hold My Hand; performing artist: Hootie & The Blowfish) You've got her number and your hand is on the phone (Things We Do For Love; performing artist: 10 CC) Being on stage with a mic in my hand (Get Ready For This; performing artist: 2 Unlimited) If I'm alive and well, will you be there, holding my hand. (Kryptonite; performing artist: 3 Doors Down) Well put one hand up (Where My Girls At; performing artist: 702) | |
Clever | No hand signals… Driver on Viagra (references; author: unknown) LSD melts your mind, not in your hand. (references; author: unknown) If you believe in telekinesis, raise my hand. (references; author: unknown) On the other hand, you have different fingers. (references; author: unknown) When you can't trace God's hand, trust His heart. (references; author: unknown) | |
Movie/TV Titles | Hand Maid May (2001) One Hand Clapping (1974) Five on the Black Hand Side (1973) Recht in eigen hand (1973) One Hand Clapping (1972) | |
Song Titles | Hold My Hand (performing artist: Hootie & The Blowfish) Put Your Hand in The Hand (performing artist: Ocean) Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand (performing artist: Primitive Radio Gods) On The Other Hand (performing artist: Randy Travis) I Want To Hold Your Hand (performing artist: The Beatles) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
References |
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Books |
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Periodicals | |||
Theater & Movies | |||
Music |
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High Tech |
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Consumer Goods | |||
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | Shown is a close-up of a gloved hand holding a test tube with some red fluid, probably media. The background is dark and the shot is dramatic. Credit: Unknown photographer/artist. |  | Three drawings of individuals checking themselves during a skin self exam. First is a man standing, examing his back in a mirror; second, a woman sitting on stool examing her feet; third, woman checking face in hand mirror. Credit: Jeanne Kelly (artist). |
 | Skin ulcer due to leishmaniasis, hand of Central American adult. Credit: CDC. |  | Tetanus in a 46-year-old man, Manila. Muscular spasms, abdomen and limbs, from tetanus due to shell fragments wound on hand. Credit: CDC. |
 | Eoline R. Hand Fifth from right with long-sleeve white shirt With Navy crew used to do hydrography at Lahaina Roads. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection. |  | William M. Scaife On hand car on Anchorage to Fairbanks railroad. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection. |
 | A Maryland Blue Crab, Callinectes sapidus, caught in a hand net. Credit: America's Coastlines. |  | The Greenhill/East Timbalier workers bringing plants into dredge area. Spartina alterniflora was planted by hand to create new marsh. Credit: America's Coastlines. |
 | Gathering commercial oysters is done chiefly by dredging or tonging. However, in certain areas much harvesting was done by oystermen who gather them by hand at low tide. Credit: Fisheries. |  | Picking oysters by hand at low tide. Credit: Fisheries. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
 |  |
| "Butterfly in the hand" by Kurtwood Schertzer Commentary: "A butterfly in the hand is worth two in the bush. or something." | "Kitchen Hand" by Andy Taylor Commentary: "Hand over kitchen." |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. | |
| Play | Caption | Play | Caption |
 | Light texture with hand clapping, cymbals, and arpeggiated electric bass line. | | Manual hand saw cutting wood. |
| Sawing with a hand saw. | | Multiple hand claps. |
| Butler ringing a small bell held in the hand to announce that dinner is served. | | Gamelan percussion instrument being struck with hammer and muted with hand. . |
| Multiple hand to knee slaps. | ||
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Author | Quotation |
Author Unknown | Fragrance clings to the hand that gives the rose. |
Charles V | Iron hand in a velvet glove. |
Emo Philips | Oh, yes...I've tried my hand at sex. |
Francis Bacon | Riches are a good hand maiden, but a poor mistress. |
Guillaume | Living from hand to mouth. |
Meister Eckhart | Only the hand that erases can write the true thing. |
Menander | Even God lends a hand to honest boldness. |
Phaedrus | He was the author, our hand finished it. |
William Shakespeare | We are in God's hand. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Author | Date | Quotation |
Magna Carta | 1215 | Given under our hand - the above named and many others being witnesses - in the meadow which is called Runnymede, between Windsor and Staines, on the fifteenth day of June, in the seventeenth year of our reign. (reference) |
John Locke | 1690 | This constrained them to come unto laws wherein all men might see their duty before hand, and know the penalties of transgressing them. (Second Treatise of Government) |
Communist Manifesto | 1848 | As the parson has ever gone band in hand with the landlord, so has Clerical Socialism with Feudal Socialism. (reference) |
Treaty of Versailles | 1919 | The Principal Allied and Associated Powers will hand over the said territories to Denmark. (reference) |
Winston S. Churchill | 1946 | On the other hand I repulse the idea that a new war is inevitable; still more that it is imminent. ("Iron Curtain" Speech) |
John F. Kennedy | 1961 | And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe--the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God. (reference) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Title | Author | Quote |
Emma | Austen, Jane | She had an opportunity now of speaking her approbation while warm from her heart, for he stopped to hand her out. |
Alice in Wonderland | Carroll, Lewis | However, at last she stretched her arms round it as far as they would go, and broke off a bit of the edge with each hand. |
A Christmas Carol | Dickens, Charles | But he put his hand upon the key he had relinquished, turned it sturdily, walked in, and lighted his candle |
Scarlet Letter | Hawthorne, Nathaniel | When the dreary change was wrought, she extended her hand to Pearl |
Les Miserables | Hugo, Victor | She carried in her hand rather than on her head, her little hat of sewed straw, with long, white strings |
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man | Joyce, James | A young woman dressed in a long pink gown laid her hand on his arm to detain him and gazed into his face |
King Richard III | Shakespeare, William | And if thy poor devoted servant may But beg one favour at thy gracious hand, Thou dost confirm his happiness for ever |
Grapes of Wrath | Steinbeck, John | The tenant man stared after it, his rifle in his hand. |
Gulliver's Travels | Swift, Jonathan | Soon after my mistress came into the room, who seeing me all bloody, ran and took me up in her hand. |
Walden | Thoreau, Henry David | At length you slowly raise, pulling hand over hand, some horned pout squeaking and squirming to the upper air. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | AD, on the other hand, is not a single-gene disorder. (references) | |
Numbness and tingling of the hand are the most common symptoms. (references) | ||
The hand pain is often most severe in the fourth and fifth fingers. (references) | ||
Business | Trufit shoes are hand made by skilled craftsmen. (references) | |
Industrial electric, fuel and manual lift-trucks, hand trucks. (references) | ||
Total inventories are defined as the total amount of goods on hand. (references) | ||
Children | Suriname | In 2000 there were credible reports of hospitals refusing to hand newborns over to their mothers until hospital bills were paid in full, sending the infants instead to a state facility. (references) |
Civil Liberties | Zimbabwe | She was injured above her right eye, and her left hand was fractured. (references) |
United Kingdom | The Red Hand Defenders, a cover name for the LVF, claimed responsibility for the killing. (references) | |
Economic History | Luxembourg | A rise in profits went hand in hand with this expansion. (references) |
Denmark | Capital can take the form of goods, equipment and/or cash on hand. (references) | |
Japan | Both wars gave Japan a free hand in Korea, which it formally annexed in 1910. (references) | |
Human Rights | Afghanistan | Thieves were subjected to public amputations of one hand, one foot, or both. (references) |
Nigeria | On May 3, Lawal Isa had his right hand amputated in Zamfara for stealing three bicycles. (references) | |
Nigeria | On July 6, the right hand of Umaru Aliyu was amputated in Sokoto for the theft of a goat. (references) | |
Minorities | Croatia | In February a hand grenade was thrown into the yard of an ethnic Serb family near Drnis in the Dalmatia region; no arrests were made. (references) |
Argentina | First hand accounts by those who have been subject to incidents of racial prejudice indicate that this is a more common problem than is widely reported or recognized. (references) | |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | Local police detained two Bosniak men for throwing a hand grenade at the Serb Orthodox Church in the Bosniak-dominated town of Sanski Most on May 8. The windows of a nearby cafe owned by a Serb also were smashed in the incident. (references) | |
Political Economy | Sudan | There also were reports that hand grenades were used inside the Cathedral. (references) |
Vietnam | Through this medium, the government learns first hand issues of concern, and their priority, to the private sector. (references) | |
Finland | The Prime Minister, on the other hand, is the head of government and has responsibility for domestic and EU affairs. (references) | |
Political Rights | Turkey | In September an unknown assailant threw a hand grenade into a HADEP office in Cizre (Sirnak province) and caused some damage, but no injuries; a police investigation was inconclusive. (references) |
Trade | Jordan | This is usually done by hand directly on the invoice itself. (references) |
Kuwait | The Kuwait Real Estate Bank (KREB), on the other hand, provides financing for real estate projects. (references) | |
Travel | Colombia | At airports, care should be taken with hand luggage and travel documents. (references) |
Uae | Business cards and gifts should be offered with the right, not left hand. (references) | |
Indonesia | Generally speaking, it is best to use the right hand in receiving or eating. (references) | |
Worker Rights | Peru | Special regulations aimed at giving employers in EPZ's and duty free zones a freer hand in the application of the law provide for the use of temporary labor as needed, for greater flexibility in labor contracts, and for setting wage rates based on supply and demand. (references) |
Lexicography | Devil's Dictionary | KING, n. A male person commonly known in America as a "crowned head," although he never wears a crown and has usually no head to speak of. A king, in times long, long gone by, Said to his lazy jester: "If I were you and you were I My moments merrily would fly -- Nor care nor grief to pester." "The reason, Sire, that you would thrive," The fool said -- "if you'll hear it -- Is that of all the fools alive Who own you for their sovereign, I've The most forgiving spirit." Oogum Bem KING'S :EVIL:, n. A malady that was formerly cured by the touch of the sovereign, but has now to be treated by the physicians. Thus 'the most pious Edward" of England used to lay his royal hand upon the ailing subjects and make them whole -- a crowd of wretched souls That stay his cure: their malady convinces The great essay of art; but at his touch, Such sanctity hath Heaven given his hand, They presently amend, as the "Doctor" in Macbeth hath it. This useful property of the royal hand could, it appears, be transmitted along with other crown properties; for according to "Malcolm," 'tis spoken To the succeeding royalty he leaves The healing benediction. But the gift somewhere dropped out of the line of succession: the later sovereigns of England have not been tactual healers, and the disease once honored with the name "king's evil" now bears the humbler one of "scrofula," from scrofa, a sow. The date and author of the following epigram are known only to the author of this dictionary, but it is old enough to show that the jest about Scotland's national disorder is not a thing of yesterday. Ye Kynge his evill in me laye, Wh. he of Scottlande charmed awaye. He layde his hand on mine and sayd: "Be gone!" Ye ill no longer stayd. But O ye wofull plyght in wh. I'm now y-pight: I have ye itche! The superstition that maladies can be cured by royal taction is dead, but like many a departed conviction it has left a monument of custom to keep its memory green. The practice of forming a line and shaking the President's hand had no other origin, and when that great dignitary bestows his healing salutation on strangely visited people, All swoln and ulcerous, pitiful to the eye, The mere despair of surgery, he and his patients are handing along an extinguished torch which once was kindled at the altar-fire of a faith long held by all classes of men. It is a beautiful and edifying "survival" -- one which brings the sainted past close home in our "business and bosoms." |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| Speaker | Phrase(s) |
Bob Meyers | We're doing very well. We certainly would prefer that the circumstance wouldn't be the way it is. But on the other hand, if we're having to face the situation, and we're going to do it by trusting God rather than questioning him, and that helps us. |
Dennis Miller | Advocate of law and order though I am, I have to admit that there's something kind of creepy about having the hand on the on-off switch of civil liberties belong to John Ashcroft. |
Rush Limbaugh | If you were a good son, you'd support your mother if she needed a helping hand. |
Tony Blair | I think everyone is concerned. And it's a very difficult issue, this, because, from a government perspective, you've got to try and take all measures you can to guard against it. On the other hand, you don't want to alarm people. |
Walter Cronkite | That's about every morning as I'm shaving. But by the time I've finished shaving and got the newspaper in hand, I want to go after the next story. |
William Shatner | Totally off the cuff. It is something that you would be very familiar with. It has been called a great interview. And that's essentially what it is. We interview each other, and the subject matter at hand, we both riff on. |
Yitzhak Rabin | Well, I always have a doubt on one hand, and at the same time, expectations to have it in a better way. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Speaker | Term | Phrase(s) |
John Adams | 1797-1801 | All officers should have commissions, under the hand of the governor and seal of the colony. |
John Quincy Adams | 1825-1829 | Liberty and law have marched hand in hand. |
Theodore Roosevelt | 1901-1909 | We are the heirs of the ages, and yet we have had to pay few of the penalties which in old countries are exacted by the dead hand of a bygone civilization. |
Woodrow Wilson | 1913-1921 | United alike in the conception of our duty and in the high resolve to perform it in the face of all men, let us dedicate ourselves to the great task to which we must now set our hand. |
Calvin Coolidge | 1923-1929 | Agriculture has been very slow in reviving, but the price of cereals at last indicates that the day of its deliverance is at hand. |
John F. Kennedy | 1961-1963 | If, on the other hand, we hang back in deference to local economic pressures, we will find ourselves cut off from our major allies. |
Jimmy Carter | 1977-1981 | Instead, let us find our future in the human face of democracy, the human voice of individual liberty, the human hand of economic development. |
Ronald Reagan | 1981-1989 | Now, you could say that this is an insurance policy for the future, a remedy that will be at hand if needed but only resorted to if absolutely necessary. |
George Bush | 1989-1993 | We've got to step forward when there's trouble, lend a hand, be what I call a point of light to a stranger in need. |
Bill Clinton | 1993-2001 | Cures for our most feared illnesses seem close at hand. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| "Hand" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 98.40% of the time. "Hand" is used about 34,880 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 98.4% | 34,321 | 243 |
| Lexical Verb (infinitive) | 1.36% | 473 | 12,513 |
| Lexical Verb (base form) | 0.23% | 79 | 37,388 |
| Total | 100.00% | 34,880 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| The following table summarizes the usage of "hand" based on a population census conducted in the United States. Ranks and frequencies are based on all names reported and classified. |
| Name | Usage/Gender | Usage per 100 million Persons | Rank in USA |
| Hand | Last name | 8,000 | 1,463 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits. | |||
| The following table summarizes names derived from the word "hand". | |||
| Name | Gender | Language | Meaning |
| Ahiman | N/A | Biblical | Brother of the right hand |
| Ater | N/A | Biblical | Left hand |
| Benjamin | N/A | Biblical | Son of the right hand |
| Caphtor | N/A | Biblical | Hand |
| Idalah | N/A | Biblical | The hand of slander |
| Jadau | N/A | Biblical | His hand |
| Jamin | N/A | ||
