old hand
Americannoun
noun
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a person who is skilled at something through long experience
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informal (in the 19th century) an ex-convict
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informal a person who is long established in a place
Etymology
Origin of old hand
First recorded in 1775–85
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.
Its episodic encores are currently airing on Fox as a lead-in to “The Faithful,” whose showrunner, René Echevarria, is an old hand at both network and cable, and whose work includes “The 4400.”
From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026
According to her Outside interview, 33-year-old Woodley is an old hand at camping thanks to family outings at Leo Carrillo State Park in Malibu and other California coastal haunts.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2025
Salah-Eddine Oulad M’hand is a relative old hand at 20.
From BBC • Jul. 25, 2024
As for Evans, he looked like an old hand in a top defensive pairing alongside Adam Larsson as well as “quarterbacking” the second power play unit.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 3, 2023
He reached out an old hand, and patted Shadow’s arm with it.
From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman
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.
