hand

▪ I. hand hand ¹ [hænd] noun [countable]

1. JOBS FARMING someone who does physical work on a farm, in a factory etc:

• Cooper held several odd jobs before coming to California to work as a factory hand.

• Jones hired himself out as a deck hand and cook on a Mexican fishing boat.

2. by hand using your hands, not a machine:

• Workers at the factory sand and finish the furniture by hand.

3. by hand delivered directly by one person to another, not sent through the post:

• His letter of confirmation will leave today by hand.

4. change hands if something changes hands, it is sold or goes from its old owner to a new one:

• More than 1.2 million IBM shares changed hands on Friday.

5. on hand , to hand close by and ready when needed:

• The company had to keep enough cash on hand to pay the bills.

6. time/​money etc in hand extra time or money that is available to be used:

• The report is not finished yet, but we still have some time in hand.

7. at hand likely to happen soon:

• Not all indicators of European economic performance suggest that a crisis is at hand.

8. in hand being dealt with:

• Don't worry - all the contract arrangements are in hand.

9. show of hands a situation where people vote by raising their hands:

• A show of hands revealed that nearly half of the people agreed with the chairman's resolution.

10. shake hands to hold someone's hand in order to greet them or to show that you have reached an agreement:

• Smiling broadly, the two leaders shook hands.

— see also handshake

  [m0] ▪ II. hand hand ² verb

hand over phrasal verb [intransitive, transitive]

hand something → over to let someone else take charge of something which you were in charge of:

• Now she feels the time has come to hand over to someone else.

• On his retirement, he handed the business over to his son.

* * *

hand UK US /hænd/ noun

► [C] WORKPLACE someone employed to do physical work: »

a factory/farm hand

● hand in hand — Cf. hand in hand

● at hand — Cf. at hand

● by hand — Cf. by hand

● get your hands on sb/sth — Cf. get your hands on sth

● good with your hands — Cf. good with your hands

● in hand — Cf. in hand

● in the hands of sb — Cf. in the hands of sb

● on hand — Cf. on hand

● out of your hands — Cf. out of your hands

● put your hand in your pocket — Cf. put your hand in your pocket

● the job/matter in hand — Cf. the matter in hand

● to hand — Cf. to hand

→ See also HAND IN GLOVE(Cf. ↑hand in glove), CASH IN HAND(Cf. ↑cash in hand) noun, CHANGE HANDS(Cf. ↑change hands), HANDMADE(Cf. ↑handmade), HOLD(Cf. ↑hold) noun, SHAKE HANDS(Cf. ↑shake hands), A SHOW OF HANDS(Cf. ↑a show of hands)