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handle

Pronunciation: /ˈhæn.d(ə)l/

The English word “handle” has 20 meanings listed here.

noun

  1. The part of an object which is (designed to be) held in the hand when used or moved.
  2. An instrument for effecting a purpose (either literally or figuratively); a tool, or an opportunity or pretext.
  3. The gross amount of wagering within a given period of time or for a given event at one of more establishments.
  4. The tactile qualities of a fabric, e.g., softness, firmness, elasticity, fineness, resilience, and other qualities perceived by touch.
  5. A name or nickname, especially as an identifier over the radio or Internet.
  6. A title attached to one's name, such as Doctor or Colonel.
  7. A reference to an object or structure that can be stored in a variable.
  8. A traditional dimpled glass with a handle, for serving a pint of beer.
  9. A 10 fluid ounce (285 mL) glass of beer.
  10. A half-gallon (1.75-liter) bottle of alcohol.
  11. A point, an extremity of land.
  12. A topological space homeomorphic to a ball but viewed as a product of two lower-dimensional balls.
  13. The smooth, irreducible subcurve of a comb which connects to each of the other components in exactly one point.
  14. A person's nose.
  15. The amount wagered in the various pari-mutuel pools for a particular event or events.

verb

  1. To touch; to feel or hold with the hand(s).
  2. To accustom to the hand; to take care of with the hands.
  3. To manage, use, or wield with the hands.
  4. To manage, control, or direct.
  5. To treat, to deal with (in a specified way).

Etymology

From Middle English handel, handle, from Old English handle (“handle”), from Proto-West Germanic *handulā (“handle”). See verb below. Cognate with German Hantel (“dumbbell, barbell”), Danish handel (“handle”). Related to hand.

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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.