▸ hand out
1 PHRASAL VERB If you hand things out to people, you give one or more to each person in a group. □ [V P n] One of my jobs was to hand out the prizes. [Also V n P ]
2 PHRASAL VERB When people in authority hand out something such as advice or permission to do something, they give it. □ [V P n] I listened to a lot of people handing out a lot of advice. [Also V n P ]
3 → see also handout
▸ hand over
1 PHRASAL VERB If you hand something over to someone, you pass it to them. □ [V P n] He also handed over a letter of apology from the Prime Minister. □ [V n P ] 'I've got his card,' Judith said, handing it over.
2 PHRASAL VERB When you hand over someone such as a prisoner to someone else, you give the control of and responsibility for them to that other person. □ [V n P + to ] They would just catch the robbers and hand them over to the police. [Also V n P , V P n (not pron)]
3 PHRASAL VERB If you hand over to someone or hand something over to them, you give them the responsibility for dealing with a particular situation or problem. □ [V P + to ] The present leaders have to decide whether to stand down and hand over to a younger generation. □ [V n P + to ] I wouldn't dare hand this project over to anyone else. [Also V n P ]
▸ hand round → see hand around
hand- /hæ nd-/ COMB [COMB -ed] Hand- combines with past participles to indicate that something has been made by someone using their hands or using tools rather than by machines. □ …handcrafted jewelry. □ …handbuilt cars.
hand|bag /hæ ndbæg/ (handbags ) N‑COUNT A handbag is a small bag which a woman uses to carry things such as her money and keys in when she goes out.
hand|ball /hæ ndbɔːl/ also hand-ball
1 N‑UNCOUNT In Britain, handball is a team sport in which the players try to score goals by throwing or hitting a large ball with their hand.
2 N‑UNCOUNT In the United States and some other countries, handball is a sport in which players try to score points by hitting a small ball against a wall with their hand.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Handball is the act of touching the ball with your hand during a football game, which is not allowed. [BRIT ] □ He got sent off for deliberate handball in the 32nd minute.
hand|bill /hæ ndb I l/ (handbills ) N‑COUNT A handbill is a small printed notice which is used to advertise a particular company, service, or event.
hand|book /hæ ndbʊk/ (handbooks ) N‑COUNT A handbook is a book that gives you advice and instructions about a particular subject, tool, or machine.
hand|brake /hæ ndbre I k/ (handbrakes ) also hand brake N‑COUNT In a vehicle, the handbrake is a brake which the driver operates with his or her hand, for example when parking. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, usually use emergency brake
hand|cart /hæ ndkɑː r t/ (handcarts ) also hand-cart N‑COUNT A handcart is a small cart with two wheels which is pushed or pulled along and is used for transporting goods.
hand|clap /hæ ndklæp/ (handclaps ) N‑COUNT If a group of people give a handclap , they clap their hands. □ …the crowd's slow handclap.
hand|cuff /hæ ndkʌf/ (handcuffs , handcuffing , handcuffed )
1 N‑PLURAL [oft a pair of N ] Handcuffs are two metal rings which are joined together and can be locked round someone's wrists, usually by the police during an arrest. □ He was led away to jail in handcuffs.
2 VERB If you handcuff someone, you put handcuffs around their wrists. □ [V n] They tried to handcuff him but, despite his injuries, he fought his way free.
-hander /-hæ ndə r / (-handers )
1 COMB [oft N n] -hander combines with words like 'two' or 'three' to form nouns which indicate how many people are involved in a particular activity, especially a play or a film. [mainly BRIT ] □ …a two-hander play. □ Williams's play is a tense contemporary three-hander about two murderers and a bank-robber.
2 → see also left-hander , right-hander
hand|ful /hæ ndfʊl/ (handfuls )
1 N‑SING A handful of people or things is a small number of them. □ [+ of ] He surveyed the handful of customers at the bar.
2 N‑COUNT A handful of something is the amount of it that you can hold in your hand. □ [+ of ] She scooped up a handful of sand and let it trickle through her fingers.
3 N‑SING If you say that someone, especially a child, is a handful , you mean that they are difficult to control. [INFORMAL ] □ Zara can be a handful sometimes.
ha nd gre|nade (hand grenades ) N‑COUNT A hand grenade is the same as a grenade .
hand|gun /hæ ndgʌn/ (handguns ) also hand gun N‑COUNT A handgun is a gun that you can hold, carry, and fire with one hand.
ha nd-held (hand-helds ) also handheld ADJ [usu ADJ n] A hand-held device such as a camera or a computer is small and light enough to be used while you are holding it. □ Saivonsac shot the entire film with a hand-held camera. ● N‑COUNT Hand-held is also a noun. □ Users will be able to use their hand-helds to check their bank accounts.
hand|hold /hæ ndhoʊld/ (handholds ) N‑COUNT A handhold is a small hole or hollow in something such as rock or a wall that you can put your hand in if you are trying to climb it. □ I found handholds and hoisted myself along.