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show of hands

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noun
an indication of approval, disapproval, volunteering, etc., on the part of a group of people, usually made by each assenting person raising a hand.
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Origin of show of hands

First recorded in 1740–50
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for show of hands

show of hands

noun
the raising of hands to indicate voting for or against a proposition
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

Other Idioms and Phrases with show of hands

show of hands

An informal vote made by participants holding up one hand each to indicate a choice, as in Let's have a show of hands—how many want the next meeting on a Sunday? [Late 1700s]

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