hands
hands — noun
1. the parts at the ends of your arms, each with a palm, four fingers, and a thumb,
the parts at the ends of your arms, each with a palm, four fingers, and a thumb, that you use to grab, touch, and feel objects.
Gabriel washed his hands carefully before chopping the onions for dinner.
wash + hands (everyday hygiene collocation)
Yara warmed her hands over the campfire after the long hike through the forest.
warm + hands (concrete cold-weather scene)
The pianist's hands moved quickly across the keys during the final concert piece.
Meera held the newborn baby with both hands, smiling gently at her sister.
Cover your face with your hands if the sun is too bright by the pool.
用法筆記
Almost always plural when talking about both: 'wash your hands', 'clap your hands', 'hold hands'. The singular 'hand' is used when only one is relevant.
常見錯誤
2. the thin sticks on a clock face or watch dial that move around to show what time
the thin sticks on a clock face or watch dial that move around to show what time it is.
The hands of the old station clock had stopped at exactly twenty past two.
the hands of [clock] (typical of-construction)
Vivek watched the hands of his grandfather's pocket watch tick steadily through the afternoon.
watch the hands tick (movement collocation)
Both hands of the kitchen clock pointed straight up, so it was exactly noon.
The minute and hour hands met perfectly when Ingrid finally finished her exam.
文法句型
the hands of a clock/watch
用法筆記
Typically refers to the minute hand and hour hand together; specify 'minute hand', 'hour hand', or 'second hand' when only one is meant.
3. in a card game, the cards a particular player is currently holding, or one compl
in a card game, the cards a particular player is currently holding, or one complete round of dealing and play.
Ezra looked at his hands and smiled because he had three aces and two kings.
look at [one's] hand(s) (game action)
After two strong hands of poker, Isabela was already ahead by sixty dollars.
hands of poker (genitive of game name)
The dealer told everyone to keep their hands close to the table during play.
Jabari won three hands in a row and decided to stop while he was ahead.
文法句型
a hand of [cards]
play a hand
用法筆記
Two related meanings sit close together: the cards you hold AND one round of play. Context usually makes it clear which is meant.
4. the practical ability to do something carefully or skillfully using your hands,
the practical ability to do something carefully or skillfully using your hands, often used to describe a person as reliable.
The young surgeon clearly had good hands; her stitches were neat and quick.
have good hands (skill-praise idiom)
Leave the antique vase with Tamás — it's in safe hands while he repairs it.
in safe hands (trust expression)
Brian has steady hands, which is why the watchmaker hired him last spring.
The patient was nervous, but the dentist's gentle hands soon helped her relax.
文法句型
good/safe/steady hands
用法筆記
Often appears with adjectives that judge a person's skill or trustworthiness: 'good', 'safe', 'steady', 'gentle'. Distinguish from sense 8 (control), where 'in someone's hands' means power, not skill.
5. practical help with a task, especially one that needs physical effort.
practical help with a task, especially one that needs physical effort.
Can you give Sumin a hand with these heavy boxes from the truck?
give [someone] a hand with (request frame)
Allison lent the neighbours a hand when their fence blew down in the storm.
lend [someone] a hand (past-tense help)
If you need a hand moving the piano upstairs, just call my brother.
The students offered a hand at the food bank every Saturday morning all winter.
- help
neutral; works in any register
- assistance
formal; for written or workplace contexts
文法句型
give/lend [someone] a hand
用法筆記
Usually singular ('a hand'), even though the literal body part would be plural. Common in casual speech; in formal writing, prefer 'help' or 'assistance'.
常見錯誤
6. people who do physical work or who are experienced at a particular kind of pract
people who do physical work or who are experienced at a particular kind of practical task.
The farm hired three extra hands to help with the apple harvest this October.
hire [number] hands (employment frame)
The ranch lost several experienced hands when the local mine reopened last spring.
experienced hands (worker-quality description)
Many hands make light work, so Gita invited the whole street to paint the wall.
The shipyard always needs skilled hands during the busy summer building season.
文法句型
[type] hands
用法筆記
Often used for farm, ranch, factory, or ship workers. Distinguish from sense 7 (sailor specifically); this is broader and covers any manual worker.
7. the people who work on a sailing ship as part of its crew.
the people who work on a sailing ship as part of its crew.
The captain ordered all hands on deck as the storm reached the small fishing boat.
all hands on deck (fixed nautical command)
Two hands were sent ashore to fetch fresh water and supplies before sunset.
[number] hands (crew counting)
The old whaling ship usually carried about thirty hands on a six-month voyage.
Several hands jumped overboard to rescue the swimmer struggling in the cold harbour water.
文法句型
all hands on deck
用法筆記
Narrower than sense 6: this is specifically a ship's crew member. Often heard in fixed phrases like 'all hands on deck'. Common in sea stories rather than modern speech.
8. the role of being responsible for or having power over a situation or event.
the role of being responsible for or having power over a situation or event.
The future of the village is now in the hands of the new town council.
in the hands of (passive control)
Police believe several local gang members had a hand in the warehouse robbery last month.
have a hand in (involvement)
Once Iker took the project into his own hands, the deadline was finally met.
The election result is in the voters' hands tomorrow, not the polling experts'.
- control
general; works in most contexts
- power
stronger; implies authority
- involvement
specifically for 'a hand in', not 'in the hands of'
文法句型
in [someone's] hands
have a hand in [something]
用法筆記
Almost always after a preposition: 'in', 'into', 'out of', 'on'. Distinguish from sense 4 (skill): 'in safe hands' = skilled care; 'in the mayor's hands' = under their control.
9. a round of clapping to show appreciation for a performer or speaker.
a round of clapping to show appreciation for a performer or speaker.
Let's give Élise a big hand for that wonderful song she just performed.
give [name] a big hand (host's invitation)
The young dancer received a warm hand from the small but enthusiastic audience.
receive a [adj] hand (passive applause)
Christopher got a huge hand at the end of his speech about saving the river.
The host asked the crowd for a big hand to welcome the surprise guest onto the stage.
文法句型
give [someone] a big hand
用法筆記
Always singular with an article: 'a big hand', 'a warm hand'. Common in entertainment and event hosting. Compare with sense 1 (clap your hands) — that's the physical action; this is the social event.
10. the personal style in which someone writes letters and words by hand.
the personal style in which someone writes letters and words by hand.
The letter was written in Amelia's neat, sloping hand on cream paper.
[name]'s [adj] hand (handwriting description)
Historians recognised the signature immediately as the king's own hand.
[name]'s own hand (authentication)
The recipe card was covered in a faded hand that was hard to read.
The museum displayed a wartime diary written in a careful schoolboy hand from 1942.
- handwriting
neutral; the everyday word
- script
more technical; often about historical styles
- penmanship
focuses on the skill of writing neatly
文法句型
[someone's] hand
用法筆記
Mostly used in formal writing about old letters, manuscripts, or signatures. In everyday speech use 'handwriting' instead.
11. a unit of measurement equal to about ten centimetres, used for how tall a horse
a unit of measurement equal to about ten centimetres, used for how tall a horse is at the shoulder.
The chestnut mare stood about sixteen hands high at the stable door.
[number] hands high (horse measurement)
Riders usually prefer a horse between fifteen and seventeen hands for long-distance racing.
between [number] and [number] hands (range)
The pony was only twelve hands, perfect for the riding school's youngest students.
The Olympic show jumper measured a striking seventeen hands at the official inspection yesterday.
文法句型
[number] hands [high/tall]
用法筆記
Used only for horses and ponies, almost always with 'high' or 'tall'. One hand equals about 10.2 cm (4 inches).
hands — verb
1. to give an object to another person by passing it directly from your hand to the
to give an object to another person by passing it directly from your hand to theirs.
Minh hands his sister the salt shaker every time she sits down for dinner.
hand [person] [object] (ditransitive)
The teacher hands a worksheet to each student at the start of the lesson.
hand [object] to [person] (prepositional)
Yan handed the package to the delivery driver and signed his name on the screen.
Could you please hand me that hammer from the top shelf in the garage?
- take
the receiver's action
文法句型
hand [someone] [something]
hand [something] to [someone]
用法筆記
Almost always used when both people are present and physically close. For sending an object by post or email, use 'send' or 'pass on' instead.
常見錯誤
2. in football, ice hockey, and similar games, to touch the playing object illegall
in football, ice hockey, and similar games, to touch the playing object illegally with your hand during a match.
The referee blew his whistle the moment the striker handed the ball inside the box.
hand the ball (football foul)
Replay clearly showed that Iker had handed the puck before the goal counted.
passive-able fault verb
Defenders should never hand the ball, even when blocking a powerful shot in the area.
The midfielder accidentally handed the ball during a corner kick and gave away a free kick.
- handle
more common in football commentary
文法句型
hand the ball/puck
用法筆記
Almost always negative in tone — the action is against the rules. Often appears in match reports and live commentary, rarely in everyday speech.
hands — adverb
1. using the hands instead of a machine, often as the first part of a compound word
using the hands instead of a machine, often as the first part of a compound word.
The dress was hand-stitched by a tailor in the small village near Hanoi.
hand- + verb-ed compound
Every chocolate at this shop is hand-rolled by Élise and her two apprentices.
hand-rolled (craft process)
These olives were hand-picked at dawn from the family farm above the bay.
Vivek prefers hand-painted ceramic bowls from local artisans over factory-made dinnerware.
文法句型
hand-made
hand-written
hand-picked
用法筆記
Almost always joined with a past-participle adjective by a hyphen: 'hand-made', 'hand-written', 'hand-picked'. As a standalone adverb it is very rare.