handful

[ hand-foo l ]

/ ˈhænd fʊl /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR handful 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.

Words nearby handful

handel, handel, george frederick, handfast, handfasting, handfeed, handful, handgrip, handgun, handheld, handheld computer, handhold

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. 2020

Examples from the Web for handful

Weiss is likely to get confirmed even as Warren and a handful of other progressive Democrats vote no.
Sen. Warren’s Main Street Crusade to Pressure Clinton|Eleanor Clift|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Rather than downing a handful of pills, I planned to take my life by opening a vein in each wrist.
Dear Leelah, We Will Fight On For You: A Letter to a Dead Trans Teen|Parker Molloy|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Knight lived down the street from Scalise, and had met him a handful of times at Republican Party events.
GOP Boss Gets Help From ‘White Hate’ Pal|Tim Mak|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
With only a handful of great directors between the two videos, Fourgrounds can keep this going for years.
Merry Christmas from the World’s Best Directors|Alex Chancey, The Daily Beast Video|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Still, a handful of centuries-old establishments have survived and housed some pretty phenomenal history.
Inside The World’s 10 Oldest Restaurants|Justin Jones|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
All our historians agree that one Clodowick, a Sicambrian, subjugated Gaul with a handful of barbarians.
A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 2 (of 10)|Franois-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire)
Michael dashed into the group and grabbed a handful of caps which he tossed into the dusty complications of the Laocon.
Sinister Street, vol. 1|Compton Mackenzie
Clean it well, take out the brains, rub it with a handful of salt, and two ounces of saltpetre.
The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,|Mary Eaton
Even when most of them had accepted his leadership and were obeying his orders, a handful of desperate men refused to go.
Famous Sea Fights|John Richard Hale
Stretch out and gather a handful of an herb that will bring him back from whatever place he is in.
The Unicorn from the Stars and Other Plays|William B. Yeats

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

handful

noun, plural hand·fuls.

Words related to handful

Words nearby handful

Origin of handful

usage note for handful

Examples from the Web for handful

British Dictionary definitions for handful

noun plural -fuls