hand-me-down

American  

[hand-mee-doun, han-] / ˈhænd miˌdaʊn, ˈhæn- /

noun

1. an article of clothing passed on to another person after being used, outgrown, etc..

   The younger children wore the hand-me-downs of the older ones.

2. any item not new that is or can be used again.

   Our office furniture was a collection of hand-me-downs.

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adjective

1. passed along for further use by others.

   some hand-me-down clothes from my older brother.

2. borrowed or adapted from other sources; derivative.

   a street full of hand-me-down architecture.

hand-me-down British  

noun

1. 1. something, esp an outgrown garment, passed down from one person to another

   2. ( as modifier )

      a hand-me-down dress

2. 1. anything that has already been used by another

   2. ( as modifier )

      hand-me-down ideas

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Etymology

Origin of hand-me-down

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hand-me-down

My dad is from England, and naturally there are a number of photos of me wearing a hand-me-down West Ham United jersey to elementary school.

From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026

"Conversely, when brides were familiar with the story of the dress, like with a hand-me-down, they were far more positive about it and treated it more like treasure than a cursed item."

From BBC ● Feb. 28, 2026

Martin, the 77-year-old in Glendale, has been sleeping on a waterbed since she got her first one as a hand-me-down from a friend.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2024

Carson will have his own hand-me-down jersey to wear Monday evening.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 6, 2024

I’m all dressed up in a new hand-me-down outfit—a rosebud-embroidered skirt and a cream blouse with little plastic pearl buttons.

From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau