handshake

[hand-sheyk]

See more synonyms for handshake on Thesaurus.com

noun

a gripping and shaking of right hands by two individuals, as to symbolize greeting, congratulation, agreement, or farewell.
Also hand·shak·ing. Computers. an exchange of predetermined signals between a computer and a peripheral device or another computer, made when a connection is initially established or at intervals during data transmission, in order to assure proper synchronization.

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Origin of handshake

First recorded in 1870–75; hand + shake

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for handshake

Contemporary Examples

She signed the papers and strode out of the office without a “handshake or a glance” despite making millions on the deal.
Food Fight! The Seven Biggest Rivalries Inside the Food Network
Thomas Flynn
September 26, 2013
Partnerships with restaurants are based on “handshake agreements” he said.
Paint Nite Combines Art Lessons and Alcohol at Bars and Restaurants
Kelsey Meany
August 1, 2013
He met with every single kid in that headquarters, gave them a hug and a handshake and a thanks.
Sunday Talk: Dianne Feinstein, Lindsey Graham & Bob Woodward on the Petraeus Aftershocks (Video)
Ben Teitelbaum, Sara Gilford
November 11, 2012
The first handshake took place behind closed doors at Belfast's Lyric Theatre and was not recorded.
Handshake of History
Tom Sykes
June 27, 2012
A handshake between McGuinness and the Queen wll be a hugely significant gesture.
Queen and Irish Nationalist WILL Shake Hands
Tom Sykes
June 22, 2012

Historical Examples

Adams gratefully protracted the handshake that accompanied these inquiries.
Alice Adams
Booth Tarkington
There was no possibility of anything further between them, not even a handshake.
L'Assommoir
Emile Zola
Moore seemed enraptured at the handshake and breathless over the occasion.
The Prisoner
Alice Brown
And now I suppose we shall say good-bye without even a handshake.
The Arrow of Gold
Joseph Conrad
"I believe you," said I, returning his handshake as cordially as he had bestowed it.
The O'Ruddy
Stephen Crane

British Dictionary definitions for handshake

handshake

noun

the act of grasping and shaking a person's hand, as when being introduced or agreeing on a deal

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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

Word Origin and History for handshake

n.

1801, from hand (n.) + shake (n.). Hand-shaking is attested from 1805.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Idioms and Phrases with handshake

handshake

see golden handshake.

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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.