handful
[ hand-foo l ]
/ ˈhænd fʊl /
noun, plural hand·fuls.
the quantity or amount that the hand can hold: a handful of coins.
a small amount, number, or quantity: a handful of men.
Informal. a person or thing that is as much as one can manage or control: The baby's tantrums made him a handful.
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Nearby words
- handel, george frideric,
- handelian,
- handfast,
- handfasting,
- handfeed,
- handgrip,
- handgun,
- handheld,
- handheld computer,
- handhold
Origin of handful
Usage note
See -ful.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for handful
handful
/ (ˈhændfʊl) /
noun plural -fuls
the amount or number that can be held in the hand
a small number or quantity
informal a person or thing difficult to manage or control
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
handful
Old English handful; see hand (n.) + -ful. Originally the quality that can be held in a hand; also a medieval linear measurement of four inches. Meaning "a small portion or part" is from c.1400. Figurative meaning "as much as one can manage" is from 1755.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper