handle

Meaning

1. The part of an object which is (designed to be) held in the hand when used or moved.
2. An instrument for effecting a purpose (either literally or figuratively); a tool, or an opportunity or pretext.
3. The gross amount of wagering within a given period of time or for a given event at one of more establishments.
4. The tactile qualities of a fabric, e.g., softness, firmness, elasticity, fineness, resilience, and other qualities perceived by touch.
5. A name or nickname, especially as an identifier over the radio or Internet.
6. A title attached to one's name, such as Doctor or Colonel.
7. A reference to an object or structure that can be stored in a variable.
8. A traditional dimpled glass with a handle, for serving a pint of beer.
9. A 10 fluid ounce (285 mL) glass of beer.
10. A half-gallon (1.75-liter) bottle of alcohol.
11. A point, an extremity of land.
12. A topological space homeomorphic to a ball but viewed as a product of two lower-dimensional balls.
13. To touch; to feel or hold with the hand(s).
14. To accustom to the hand; to take care of with the hands.
15. To manage, use, or wield with the hands.
16. To manage, control, or direct.
17. To treat, to deal with (in a specified way).
18. To deal with (a subject, argument, topic, or theme) in speaking, in writing, or in art.
19. To receive and transfer; to have pass through one's hands; hence, to buy and sell.
20. To be concerned with; to be an expert in.
21. To put up with; to endure (and continue to function).
22. To use the hands.
23. To illegally touch the ball with the hand or arm; to commit handball.
24. To behave in a particular way when handled (managed, controlled, directed).

Etymology / origin

From Middle English handel, handle, from Old English handle (“handle”), from Proto-West Germanic *handulā (“handle”). See verb below. Cognate with German Hantel (“dumbbell, barbell”), Danish handel (“handle”). Related to hand.

Related words

Descendant words

• hendel(Dutch) (der)
• handel(Indonesian) (der)
• hendel(Indonesian) (der)
• ハンドル(Japanese) (bor)
• 핸들(Korean) (bor)
• handelen(Luxembourgish) (cog)
• hānara(Māori) (bor)
• Hendel(Pennsylvania German) (bor)

Sources

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