AskDefine | Define handle

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Dictionary Definition

handle n : the appendage to an object that is designed to be held in order to use or move it; "he grabbed the hammer by the handle"; "it was an old briefcase but it still had a good grip" [syn: grip, handgrip, hold]

Verb

1 be in charge of, act on, or dispose of; "I can deal with this crew of workers"; "This blender can't handle nuts"; "She managed her parents' affairs after they got too old" [syn: manage, deal, care]
2 interact in a certain way; "Do right by her"; "Treat him with caution, please"; "Handle the press reporters gently" [syn: treat, do by]
3 deal with verbally or in some form of artistic expression; "This book deals with incest"; "The course covered all of Western Civilization"; "The new book treats the history of China" [syn: cover, treat, plow, deal, address]
4 touch, lift, or hold with the hands; "Don't handle the merchandise" [syn: palm]
5 handle effectively; "The burglar wielded an axe" [syn: wield]
6 show and train; "The prize-winning poodle was handled by Mrs. Priscilla Prescott"

User Contributed Dictionary

English

Etymology

Old English handlen, Anglo Saxon handian; akin to Dutch handelen to trade, German handeln. See hand

Pronunciation

Noun

  1. A part of an object which is held in the hand when used or moved, as the haft of a sword, the knob of a door, the bail of a kettle, etc.
  2. That of which use is made; an instrument for effecting a purpose; a tool.
  3. The gross amount of wagering within a given period of time or for a given event at one of more establishments.
    • The daily handle of a Las Vegas casino is typically millions of dollars.
  4. A topological space homeomorphic to a ball but viewed as a product of two lower-dimensional balls.
  5. A nickname or pseudonym.
  6. A 10 fl oz (285 ml) glass of beer in the Northern Territory. See also pot, middy for other regional variations.

Derived terms

Translations

part of an object which is held in the hand when used or moved
that of which use is made
money taken in by a business
topological space
nickname
10 fl oz glass of beer

Verb

  1. To use the hands.
    • They have hands, but they handle not - Psalm 115:7
  2. To touch; to feel with the hand.
    • Handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh - Luke 24:39
  3. To use or hold with the hand.
    • About his altar, handling holy things - Milton
  4. To manage in using, as a spade or a musket; to wield; often, to manage skillfully.
    • That fellow handles his bow like a crowkeeper - Shakespeare, King Lear, IV-vi
  5. To accustom to the hand; to work upon, or take care of, with the hands.
    • The hardness of the winters forces the breeders to house and handle their colts six months every year - Sir W. Temple
  6. To receive and transfer; to have pass through one's hands; hence, to buy and sell; as, a merchant handles a variety of goods, or a large stock
  7. To deal with; to make a business of.
    • They that handle the law knew me not - Jeremiah, 2:8
  8. To treat; to use, well or ill.
    • How wert thou handled being prisoner - Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part I, I-iv
  9. To manage; to control; to practice skill upon.
    • You shall see how I'll handle her - Shakespeare, Measure for Measure, V-i
  10. To use or manage in writing or speaking; to treat, as a theme, an argument, or an objection.
    • We will handle what persons are apt to envy others - Bacon''

Synonyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

to use the hands
to feel with the hand
to use or hold with the hand
to manage skillfully
to take care of, with the hands
to receive and transfer
to deal with; to make a business of
to treat; to use, well or ill
to manage; to control; to practice skill upon
to use or manage in writing or speaking

Extensive Definition

Handle may refer to:

See also

handle in Japanese: ハンドル
handle in Russian: Ручка
handle in Simple English: Handle

Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words

accomplish, act toward, administer, aim, air, alibi, analyze, apology, appellation, appellative, apply, be in, be responsible for, bed, bed down, behave toward, bestow, bilge, binomen, binomial name, blain, bleb, blind, blister, blob, boss, bow, brandish, break, bridle, brush, bubble, bulb, bulge, bulla, bump, bunch, burl, button, buy and sell, byname, byword, cahot, call the signals, canvass, captain, care for, caress, carry, carry on, carry out, carry through, chart a course, chine, cloak, clump, cognomen, color, come in contact, command, comment upon, complete, cond, conduct, condyle, conn, consider, contend with, control, controvert, convex, cope with, cover, cover story, cover-up, coxswain, criticize, cryptonym, curry, currycomb, deal by, deal in, deal with, debate, deliberate, deliberate upon, denomination, descant, designation, device, direct, discharge, discourse, discourse about, discuss, dispatch, dispense, dispose of, dissert, dissertate, do by, do with, dominate, dowel, drench, drive, ear, employ, empty title, enact, engineer, epithet, eponym, euonym, examine, exchange views, excuse, execute, exercise, exert, exploit, facade, feed, feel, feel of, feint, finger, flange, flap, flick, flourish, fodder, fondle, front, gall, gentle, gloss, gnarl, go into, govern, grasp, grip, groom, guide, guise, haft, harness, have the conn, head, head up, helm, helve, hill, hilt, hitch, hold, honor, honorific, hump, hunch, hyponym, inquire into, investigate, job, jog, joggle, knob, knock around, knot, knur, knurl, label, lame excuse, lay, lead, lead on, level, lip, litter, locus standi, loop, lump, make, make go, make the rules, make use of, manage, maneuver, manipulate, market, mask, mastermind, merchandise, milk, mole, moniker, mountain, name, namesake, navigate, nevus, nomen, nomen nudum, nub, nubbin, nubble, officer, operate, order, ostensible motive, oversee, palm, palpate, papilloma, pass under review, pat, paw, peg, perform, perform on, pilot, play, ply, point, poke at, poor excuse, practice, prescribe, pretense, pretension, pretext, prod, proper name, proper noun, protestation, public motive, pull the strings, put-off, quarterback, rap, reason, reason about, reason the point, refuge, regulate, remark upon, respond to, retail, review, rib, ridge, ring, rub down, run, saddle, scientific name, screen, secret name, see to, sell, semblance, serve, shake, sham, shape a course, shoulder, show, sift, skipper, smoke screen, sobriquet, spine, stalking-horse, steer, steward, stratagem, stud, study, style, subterfuge, supervise, survey, swing, tab, tackle, tag, take, take care of, take command, take the lead, take up, talk, talk about, talk of, talk over, tame, tap, tautonym, tend, test, thresh out, thumb, title, touch, touch upon, trade in, traffic in, train, transact, treat, treat of, trick, trinomen, trinomial name, try, tubercle, tubercule, twiddle, use, utilize, varnish, veil, ventilate, verruca, vesicle, wale, wart, water, wave, welt, wholesale, wield, work, write up, yoke
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