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.
Rashford, also bidding to earn a World Cup slot with England while on loan from Manchester United, will be experiencing an El Clasico for the first time, but Bellingham is an old hand.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2025
Former French prime minister Dominique de Villepin is an old hand, having made world headlines back in 2003 by opposing the U.S. war in Iraq in an eloquent U.N. address.
From Salon ● Mar. 2, 2025
But Kimmel is by now an old hand at a highly specialized gig.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 4, 2024
As I was exploring America’s political future, I called consultant David Johnson, an old hand in Florida politics though his Tennessee accent betrays his roots.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 11, 2023
Like I am an old hand at this.
From "Beast Rider" by Tony Johnston & María Elena Fontanot de Rhoads
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.
