palm

Meaning

1. Any of various evergreen trees from the family Palmae or Arecaceae, which are mainly found in the tropics.
2. A branch or leaf of the palm, anciently borne or worn as a symbol of victory or rejoicing.
3. Triumph; victory.
4. Any of the twenty-three awards that can be earned after obtaining the Eagle Scout rank, but generally only before turning eighteen years old.
5. The inner and somewhat concave part of the human hand or other primate hand that extends from the wrist to the bases of the fingers.
6. The corresponding part of the forefoot of a nonprimate mammal.
7. Synonym of hand, any of various units of length notionally derived from the breadth of the palm, formalized in England as 4 inches and now chiefly used for the height of horses
8. Any of various units of length notionally derived from the length of the palm from the wrist to the base of the fingers.
9. A metallic disk attached to a strap and worn in the palm of the hand; used to push the needle through the canvas, in sewing sails, etc.
10. The broad flattened part of an antler, as of a full-grown fallow deer; so called as resembling the palm of the hand with its protruding fingers.
11. The flat inner face of an anchor fluke.
12. To hold or conceal something in the palm of the hand, e.g., for an act of sleight of hand or to steal something.
13. To hold something without bending the fingers significantly.
14. To move something with the palm of the hand.
15. To use one's palm as identification to get through a door or security checkpoint.
16. To bribe.
17. A surname mainly of Scandinavian origin.
18. Alternative letter-case form of palm.
19. Acronym of Patent Application Locating and Monitoring.

Etymology / origin

From Middle English palme, from Old English palm, palma (“palm-tree, palm-branch”), from Latin palma (“palm-tree, palm-branch, palm of the hand”), from Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₂meh₂, *pl̥h₂emeh₂ (“palm of the hand”), from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂- (“flat”). Cognate with Dutch palm, German Palme, Danish palme, Icelandic pálmur (“palm”).

Related words

Descendant words

• palmo(Esperanto) (bor)
• paumer(French) (cog)
• palmo(Ido) (der)
• pelma(Norwegian Nynorsk) (bor)
• ปาล์ม(Thai) (bor)
• pam(Volapük) (bor)
• llaw(Welsh) (cog)

Sources

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