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handful

[ hand-fool ]
/ ˈhænd fʊl /
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See synonyms for: handful / handfuls on Thesaurus.com

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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Origin of handful

before 900; Middle English, Old English. See hand, -ful

usage note for handful

See -ful.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use handful in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions 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
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