handiwork
Americannoun
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work done by hand.
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the characteristic quality of a particular doer or maker.
In all of Mozart's music we discover the handiwork of a genius.
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the result of work done by hand.
woven mats and other handiwork.
noun
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work performed or produced by hand, such as embroidery or pottery
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the result of the action or endeavours of a person or thing
Etymology
Origin of handiwork
before 1000; Middle English handiwerk, Old English handgeweorc, variant of handweorc (cognate with German Handwerk ). See hand, y-, work
Explanation
Handiwork is something that you've done, achieved, or made, especially with your own two hands. When you hold up a pair of mittens you just finished knitting, you're admiring your handiwork. You can use the noun handiwork for the result of hard work, like a tidy, weeded and mulched garden or a handmade birdhouse. You can also look at something less positive, like a messy living room scattered with books that have been pulled from the shelves, and say to your two year-old cousin, "Is this your handiwork?" This word comes from the Old English handgeweorc, from hand and geweorc, "work."
Vocabulary lists containing handiwork
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Roberts walked through the congressional debates over the amendment to show that its framers recognized their handiwork would apply to the children of immigrants.
From Slate ● Jun. 30, 2026
The problem is that almost nobody has been around to see the Rays’ handiwork.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
Wainwright has previously displayed his handiwork at events for charity, and discovered that blind people have loved to feel the large items next to the normal sized ones.
From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2026
The “Christy” star is accompanied by a small crew that is filming her handiwork.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 26, 2026
I pinched my way around the pies with my good thumb, and they did look better, although no one would be fooled into thinking they were Viola’s handiwork.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
