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Hands

Definition: Hands

Hands

Noun

1. (with `in') guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child; "my fate is in your hands"; "too much power in the president's hands"; "your guests are now in my custody"; "the mother was awarded custody of the children".

2. The force of workers available.

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "hands" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1010. (references)

 

Specialty Definition: Hands

DomainDefinition

Literature

Hands Persons employed in a factory. We say so many head of cattle: horse-dealers count noses. Races are won by the nose, and factory work by the hand, but cattle have the place of honour.
Hands
ALL. It is believed on all hands. It is generally (or universally) believed.
CHANGE. To change hands. To pass from a possessor to someone else.
CLEAN. He has clean hands. In French, "It a les mains nettes. ' That is, he is incorruptible, or he has never taken a bribe.
FULL. My hands are full. I am fully occupied; I have as much work to do as I can manage. A "handful" has the plural "handfuls," as "two handfuls," same as "two barrow-loads," "two cart-loads," etc.
GOOD. I have it from very good hands. I have received my information on good authority.
LAY. To lay hands on. To apprehend; to lay hold of. (See No. v.)
"Lay hands on the villain."
Shakespeare: Taming of the Shrew, v. 1.
LONG. Kings have long hands. In French, "Les rois ont les mains longues. ' That is, it is hard to escape from the vengeance of a king, for his hands or agents extend over the whole of his kingdom.
SHAKE. To shake hands. To salute by giving a hand received into your own a shake.
To strike hands. (Prov. xvii. 18). To make a contract, to become surety for another. (See also Prov. vii. I and xxii. 26.) The English custom of shaking hands in confirmation of a bargain has been common to all nations and all ages. In feudal times the vassal put his hands in the hands of his overlord on taking the oath of fidelity and homage.
SHOP "Hands, ' etc. Men and women employed in a shop.
TAKE OFF. To take off one's hands. To relieve one of something troublesome, as "Will no one take this [task] off my hands?"
WASH. To wash one's hands of a thing. In French, "Se lever les mains d'une chose ' or "Je m'en lave les mains. ' I will have nothing to do with it; I will abandon it entirely. The allusion is to Pilate's washing his hands at the trial of Jesus.
"When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying. I am innocent of the blood of this just person see ye to it." - Matt. xxvii. 24. Source: Brewer's Dictionary.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Specialty Definition: Hand

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)


A human left hand

The hand is a portion of the arm or anterior limb of a human or other primate, at where the appendage terminates. This part of the limb is especially used in grasping and holding. The left hand is the mirror image of the right hand.

What constitutes a hand?

Although many mammals and other animals have grasping appendages similar in form to a hand, these are scientifically not considered to be so, and have other varying names, including paws. Using the term hand is merely a scientific usage of anthropomorphization, to distinguish the terminations of the front paws from the hind ones. The only true hands appear in the mammalian order of primates. Hands must also feature opposable thumbs, as described later in the text.

Structure of the Hand

The hand consists of a broad palm (metacarpus) with five digits, attached to the forearm by a joint called the wrist (carpus).

Digits

The Four Fingers

The four fingers on the hand are located at the outermost edge of the palm. These four digits can be folded over the palm, this allows for the holding of objects, and furthermore the grasping of small objects.

The Thumb

The thumb (connected to the trapezium) is located on one the sides, parallel to the arm. The thumb can be easily rotated 90º, on a perpendicular level compared to the palm, unlike the fingers which can only be rotated approximately 45º. A reliable way of identifying true hands is from the presence of opposable thumbs. Other than opossums (Daubentoniidae), lemurs (Daubentoniidae) and the now extinct dinosaurs, this is a unique feature. Opposable thumbs are identified by the ability to be brought opposite to the fingers.

Bones

The human hand has at least 27 bones: the carpus or wrist account for 8; the metacarpus or palm contains 5; the remaining 14 are digital bones.

Bones of the wrist

The wrist has eight bones, arranged in two rows of four. These bones fit into a shallow socket formed by the bones of the forearm.

Bones of the palm

The palm has 5 bones, one to each of the 5 digits.

Digital bones

Also called phalanges, hands contain 14 of them; 2 in the thumb, and 3 in each of the four fingers (called distal phalanx, carrying the nail, middle phalanx and proximal phalanx. The thumb has no middle phalanx).

Sesamoid bones

Sesamoid bones are small ossified nodes embedded in the tendons to provide extra leverage and reduce pressure on the underlying tissue. Many exist around the palm at the bases of the digits, but the exact number varies between different people. The patella is the largest example of a sesamoid bone in the human body.

Muscles and Tendons

The movements of the human hand are accomplished by two sets of each of these tissues. They can be subdivided into two groups: the extrinsic and intrinsic muscle groups. The extrinsic muscle groups are the long flexors and extonsors. They are called extrinsic because the muscle belly is located on the forearm.

Intrinsic Hand Muscles

The Intrinsic muscle groups are the thenar and hypothenar muscles (thenar = thumb, hypothenar = little finger), the interosseus muscles (between the metacarpal bones, four dorsally and three volarly) and the lumbrical muscles. These muscles arise from the deep flexor (and are special because they have no bony origin) and insert on the dorsal extensor hood mechanism.

The Extrinsic Muscles of the Hand

The Flexors

The fingers have two long flexors, located on the underside of the forearm. They insert by tendons to the phalanges of the fingers. The deep flexor attaches to the distal phalanx, and the superficial flexor attaches to the middle phalanx. The flexors allow for the actual bending of the fingers. The thumb has one long flexor and a short flexor in the thenar muscle group. The human thumb also has other muscles in the thenar group (opponens- and abductor muscle), moving the thumb in opposition, making grasping possible.

The Extensors

Located on the back of the forearm and a connected in a more complex way then the flexors to the dorsum of the fingers. The tendons unite with the interosseous and lumbrical muscles to form the extensorhood mechanism. The primary function of the extensors is to straighten out the digits. The thumb has two extensors in the forearm; the tendons of these form the anatomical snuff box. Also, the index finger and the little finger have an extra extensor, used for instance for pointing.

Articulation

Also of note is that the articulation of the human hand is more complex and delicate than that of comparable organs in any other animals. Without this extra articulation, we would not be able to operate a wide variety of tools and devices. The hand can also form a fist, for example in combat, or as a gesture.

See also: Common uses in of the word hand in the English language, hand (clock), hand (measurement), hand (mechanisms), hand (language).

Common uses in English language

I know it like the back of my hand - English phrase used to say that the subject knows the matter perfectly, as if it was part of their body, or that they were born with the knowledge. Related: Second hand.

Second hand - Similar to "I know it like the back of my hand," in that it is definitely known by the subject. Similar to something being described as second nature. Not to be confused with second-hand goods, which have already been used before, and are being resold.

A man may also describe somebody as his right hand man, which means that he relies heavily on this person.

A hand is also:

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Hand (unit of length)

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

A hand is a unit of measurement, used for the height of horses in the US and the UK: in this context, one hand equals four inches (10.2 cm).

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Hand (unit of length)."

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Poker hand

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

The word hand in the game of poker is used to mean any of the following:

  1. The set of cards held by an individual player during play. Joe took another look at his hand when Virginia raised. The term holding can be used for less ambiguity.
  2. The value of a player's hand(1), as determined by the rules of the game being played (see below). Karen's hand was a flush, but lost to Steve's full house. The term hand value can be used for less ambiguity.
  3. A single instance of poker game play, also called a deal. We played eight hands of draw poker, then eight hands of stud poker.

There are many poker variantss, but unless otherwise specified in the rules of the variant being played, hands are evaluated using the traditional set of five-card hands. These are, from worst to best:

These hands are called the traditional hands or high hands.

Some games called lowball or low poker are played where players strive not for the highest ranking of the above combinations but for the lowest ranking hand. There are three methods of ranking low hands, called Ace-to-five low, Deuce-to-seven low, and Ace-to-six low. The ace-to-five method is most common.

Certain variants use hands of only three cards, either high or low. Three-card low hands can be ranked by any of the three methods above, although with three cards they become ace-to-three (rather than ace-to-five), deuce-to-five, and ace-to-four. The ace-to-three method is the most common, just as the ace-to-five method is most common method for five cards. Three-card high hands are ranked in one of two ways: either with or without straights and flushes. Without (which is the most common, and used such games as Chinese poker), the hands are simply no pair, one pair, and three of a kind. If you add straights and flushes, the order of hands should be changed to reflect the correct probabilities: no pair, one pair, flush, straight, three of a kind, straight flush. This order is used, for example, in Mambo stud.

Some poker games are played with a deck that has been stripped of certain cards, usually low-ranking ones. For example, the Australian game of Manila uses a 32-card deck in which all cards below the rank of 7 are removed, and Mexican stud removes the 8s, 9s, and 10s. In both of these games, a flush ranks above a full house, because having fewer cards of each suit available makes flushes rarer.

Some games add one or more Unconventional handss, or have special exceptions to the rules above. For example, in the game of Pai Gow Poker as played in Nevada, a Wheel (5-4-3-2-A) ranks above a king-high straight, but below an ace-high straight. This is not the case in California, where the nearly identical game is played under the name Double-hand poker using traditional hand values.

General rules

The following general rules apply to evaluating poker hands, whatever set of hand values are used.

Individual card ranks are often used to evaluate hands that contain no pairs or other special combinations, or to rank the kickers of otherwise equal hands. The Ace is ranked low in ace-to-five and ace-to-six lowball games.

The suits of the cards are mainly used in determining whether a hand fits a certain category (specifically the Flush and Straight flush hands), but rarely does one poker hand rank above another solely because of suit. In most variants, if two players have hands that are identical except for suit, then they are tied and split the pot. Sometimes a ranking called high card by suit is also used for randomly selecting a player to deal.

In games where more than five cards are available to each player, hands are ranked by choosing some five-card subset according to the rules of the game, and comparing that five-card hand against the five-card hands of the other players. Whatever cards remain after choosing the five to be played are of no consequence in determining the winner.

That is, even the minimum qualifying hand in a certain category defeats all hands in all lower categories. The smallest Two pair hand, for example, defeats all hands with just One pair or No pair. Only between two hands in the same category are card ranks used to break ties.

For ease of explanation, hands are shown here neatly arranged, but a poker hand is the same no matter what order the cards are received in.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Poker hand."

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Synonyms: Hands

Synonyms: custody (n), manpower (n), men (n), work force (n), workforce (n). (additional references)

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Crosswords: Hands

English words defined with "hands": Clean handskeep one's hands offlay hands on, laying on of handsshake hands, Show of handsTo clap hands, To clap the hands, To fall into one's hands, To shake hands, To strike hands withwash one's hands, wring hands. (references)
Specialty definitions using "hands": DIPPER, CLOCK AND WATCH HANDSHairy Hands, HANDS ASSEMBLERImposition of HandsKings have Long Hands, Kiss HandsMOUNTER, CLOCK AND WATCH HANDSOld HandsPAINTER, CLOCK AND WATCH HANDSShaking Hands. (references)
Etymologies containing "hands": Uphand. (references)

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Modern Usage: Hands

DomainUsage

Screenplays

Our society cannot condone men who take the law into their own hands. (A Time to Kill; writing credit: Akiva Goldsman)

You gave me the dark gift, and I delivered you into the hands of death for the second time (Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles; writing credit: Anne Rice)

If you want to shake hands with the devil, that's fine with me. I'll just make sure that you do it in hell (Mission: Impossible; writing credit: Bruce Geller; David Koepp)

You want to shake hands with the devil, that's fine with me. I just want to make sure that you do it in hell (Mission: Impossible; writing credit: David Koepp and Robert Towne. Based on the television series)

-if only I could get my hands on this kid. (The Firm; writing credit: David Rabe)

Lyrics

In my hands, in my hands again (Hemorrhage (in my hands); performing artist: Fuel)

She said don't give no lines and keep your hands to yourself (Keep Your Hands To Yourself; performing artist: Georgia Satellites)

Uh uh come on put ya hands up (Put Ya Hands Up; performing artist: KISS)

Cuz it's all in our hands (Fly Away From Here; performing artist: Aerosmith)

Did you go to a church and hold hands with some strangers (Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning); performing artist: Alan Jackson)

Clever

Every man goes down to his death bearing in his hands only that which he has given away. (references; author: Persian Proverb)

The safest way to cross life's streets is to hold hands. (references; author: unknown)

Power works best in the hands of those who don't want it. (references; author: unknown)

Before you point your fingers, be sure your hands are clean. (references; author: unknown)

If evolution was true, mothers would have more than two hands. (references; author: unknown)

Movie/TV Titles

In Praise of Hands (1974)

The Hands of Cormac Joyce (1972)

Hands of the Ripper (1971)

Painted Hands (1971)

With These Hands (1970)

Song Titles

Hemorrhage (In My Hands) (performing artist: Fuel)

Keep Your Hands To Yourself (performing artist: Georgia Satellites)

Daddy's Hands (performing artist: Holly Dunn)

Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up) (performing artist: Jay-Z)

Hands (performing artist: Jewel)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Commercial Usage: Hands

DomainTitle

Books

  • Hands on Horse Care from Horse and Rider: The Complete Book of Equine First-Aid (reference)

  • Hands of Light: A Guide to Healing Through the Human Energy Field (reference)

  • Save Your Hands! Injury Prevention for Massage Therapists (reference)

  • The Fruit Of Her Hands (reference)

  • The Work of His Hands : The Agony and Ecstasy of Being Conformed to the Image of Christ (reference)

    (more book examples)

  

Periodicals

  

Theater & Movies

  

Music

  

High Tech

  

Consumer Goods

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Image Slideshow: Hands

Photos:
Hands

More pictures...

Illustrations:
Hands

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Computer Images:
Hands

More pictures...

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Photo Album: Hands

ThumbnailDescription & CreditThumbnailDescription & Credit

Seen is an white male scientist in a lab setting performing drug synthesis. In many of the photos he is adjusting the equipment. In some of the photos only his hands and the flask with chemicals are visible. The flask seems to be sitting in an insulated covering. Credit: Linda Bartlett (photographer).

Seen are two hands manipulating an IV for chemotherapy administration to a black patient. Credit: Linda Bartlett (photographer).

The rash often appears as rough, red or reddish brown spots, and can appear on both the palms of the hands as well as on the plantar surface (bottom) of the feet. Credit: CDC.

Erythema multiforme, skin of hands. Credit: CDC.

Astronaut Gibson Shakes Hands with Cosmonaut Dezhurov. Credit: NASA.

Doing reconnaissance work from a tree Note telescope in person's hands. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection.

Camp cook roasts the boar and all hands get barbecued pork. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection.

Small hands helping do a big job. Taking water samples at a water quality station. Credit: America's Coastlines.

Harley Nygren warming his hands on a seaside fumarole on Deception Island. 62 57 S Latitude 60 38 W Longitude. Credit: Paths Less Taken - NOAA at the Ends of the Earth.

Indications of the coming spring melt - bare hills, pools of water, bare hands. Credit: Paths Less Taken - NOAA at the Ends of the Earth.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

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Digital Photo Gallery: Hands
 

"Hands" by Paolo Bosani
Commentary: "Mani unite."
"Hands" by Vincze Ildi
Commentary: "Hands."

Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers.

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Sounds Captioned with "Hands".

PlayCaptionPlayCaption
Shaking dice in hands.Dice being rolled between the hands.
A descending glissando played with both hands on a piano.Shaking dice in hands.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Familiar Quotations: Hands

AuthorQuotation

Bishop Jeremy Taylor

The union of hands and hearts.

Burleigh

Win hearts, and you have all men's hands and purse's.

Francis Bacon

Chiefly the mold of a man's fortune is in his own hands.

Isaac Watts

Satan always finds some mischief for idle hands to do.

John Heywood

Many hands make light work.

Michelangelo

A man paints with his brains and not with his hands.

Pindar

The issue is in God's hands.

Publilius Syrus

God looks at the clean hands, not the full ones.

William Shakespeare

Now join your hands, and with your hands your hearts.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Historic Usage: Hands

AuthorDateQuotation

Magna Carta

1215

If any freeman shall die intestate, his chattels shall be distributed by the hands of his nearest kinsfolk and friends, under supervision of the Church, saving to every one the debts which the deceased owed to him. (reference)

John Locke

1690

The labour of his body, and the work of his hands, we may say, are properly his. (Second Treatise of Government)

US Declaration of Independence

1776

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands. (reference)

Communist Manifesto

1848

It has agglomerated production, and has concentrated property in a few hands. (reference)

Treaty of Versailles

1919

From the time of their delivery into the hands of the German authorities the prisoners of war and interned civilians are to be returned without delay to their homes by the said authorities. (reference)

Winston S. Churchill

1946

No one in any country has slept less well in their beds because this knowledge and the method and the raw materials to apply it, are at present largely retained in American hands. ("Iron Curtain" Speech)

Brown v. Board of Education

1954

Education of white children was largely in the hands of private groups. (reference)

John F. Kennedy

1961

In your hands, my fellow citizens, more than mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course. (reference)

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

1963

I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor's lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers. (Delivered on the steps at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1905)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Use in Literature: Hands

TitleAuthorQuote

Sylvie and Bruno

Carroll, Lewis

The Chancellor raised his hands and eyebrows, lost in admiration

A Christmas Carol

Dickens, Charles

They had books and papers in their hands, and bowed to him.

Scarlet Letter

Hawthorne, Nathaniel

Detecting his emotion, Pearl clapped her little hands, in the most extravagant ecstasy

Les Miserables

Hugo, Victor

She who will remain virtuous must have no compassion for her hands.

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Joyce, James

He had loose redbrown hair and tender shapely strong freckled hands.

Time Enough for Love

Robert Heinlein

Writing is not necessarily something to be ashamed of, but do it in private and wash your hands afterwards

King Richard III

Shakespeare, William

I am, in this, commanded to deliver The noble Duke of Clarence to your hands.

Grapes of Wrath

Steinbeck, John

The preacher let his arms and hands float on the surface

Gulliver's Travels

Swift, Jonathan

The two horses came up close to me, looking with great earnestness upon my face and hands.

Walden

Thoreau, Henry David

Wash your hands and trough well

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Non-Fiction Usage: Hands

SubjectTopicQuote

Health

Wash your hands after contact with the sores. (references)

It can also occur near the mouth, anus, or on the hands. (references)

In rare cases, some patients will notice shaking of the hands. (references)

Business

However, control was clearly and solely in the hands of the SED. (references)

As of the end of 1996, only 116 parastatals were in the hands of the government. (references)

During the 90s, majority control of the British automobile industry passed into foreign hands. (references)

Children

Maldives

Children's rights are incorporated into law, which specifically protects them from both physical and psychological abuse, including abuse at the hands of teachers or parents. (references)

Civil Liberties

Ukraine

She sustained knife cuts to her hands and face after attempting to resist the attacker. (references)

Greece

A 1980 law placed the administration of the wakfs in the hands of the appointed muftis and their representatives. (references)

Discrimination

Papua New Guinea

Skirmishes and conflicts tend to be based on disputes between clans over issues such as boundaries, land ownership, injuries, and insults suffered by one clan at the hands of another; they are not ethnically based. (references)

Brazil

A prominent example of violence directed at homosexuals occurred in Sao Paulo in February 2000, when Edson Neris da Silva was beaten to death by a skinhead gang after having been seen holding hands with another man. (references)

Economic History

South Africa

Ultimately, however, all power remained in white hands. (references)

Human Rights

Indonesia

The seven transmigrants were found shot with their hands tied behind their backs. (references)

Sri Lanka

Disappearances at the hands of the security forces continued in the north and east. (references)

Argentina

The boys had been shot multiple times and were found with their hands and feet tied. (references)

Indigenous People

Jordan

Many persons of East Bank origin complain that the dynamic private sector largely is in the hands of the Palestinian majority. (references)

Minorities

Uganda

However, the backlash from the spring 2000 killing of more than 1,000 citizens at the hands of a religious group resulted in negative public attitudes towards fringe Christian groups. (references)

Indonesia

Christian IDP's from Keswui and Teor who had undergone conversion said in media interviews that Muslim militants told Christians to convert to Islam or face probable death at the hands of Muslim militias. (references)

Political Economy

Malawi

Wealth remained concentrated in the hands of a small elite. (references)

Thailand

Real power, however, lies in the hands of a democratically elected government led by a Prime Minister. (references)

Qatar

The State owns most basic industries and services, but the retail and construction industries are in private hands. (references)

Political Rights

Papua New Guinea

The last general election was held in June 1997. Of the 109 seats in Parliament, 55 seats changed hands. (references)

Yemen

Decisionmaking and real political power still rest in the hands of the executive branch, particularly the President. (references)

Belize

The Government changed hands in August 1998 when the PUP won 26 of 29 seats in the House of Representatives in generally free and fair elections. (references)

Trade

Poland

The majority of the Polish banking sector's assets, deposits, and equity are in the hands of the private sector. (references)

China

Nevertheless, China's banking industry has remained in the government's hands even though banks have gained more autonomy. (references)

Ecuador

However, both external and internal factors created a deep economic crisis by the end of the 1990s. The GDP per capita dropped to the level of the 1960s. Bank operations reduced dramatically so that of the 42 banks existing before the collapse, just 22 managed to survive in private hands. (references)

Travel

Poland

It is customary to greet by shaking hands in Poland. (references)

Kazakhstan

However, men generally do not shake women's hands in company. (references)

Denmark

Danes shake hands both for greetings upon arrival and departure from a meeting. (references)

Women

Ghana

In April a man living in Tongor in the Volta Region chopped off the hands of an elderly aunt, claiming that she was a witch. (references)

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Over a 6-month period, the man had hit and kicked his wife, hit her in the head and damaged her eyes, and pushed her into a stove causing burns to her hands and legs. (references)

Pakistan

Human rights groups estimate that anywhere from 70 to 90 percent of women are victims of domestic violence at the hands of their husbands, in-laws, or other relatives. (references)

Worker Rights

Jordan

All child labor enforcement responsibilities rest in the hands of 85 Ministry of Labor inspectors. (references)

Belarus

Since the economy remained largely in the hands of the State, unions usually sought political redress for economic problems. (references)

Benin

The press also reported the arrest of 13 adults in April 2000 as they were attempting to smuggle 26 children into Togo for work as domestics and farm hands. (references)

Lexicography

Devil's Dictionary

RICHES, n. A gift from Heaven signifying, "This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased." John D. Rockefeller The reward of toil and virtue. J.P. Morgan The sayings of many in the hands of one. Eugene Debs To these excellent definitions the inspired lexicographer feels that he can add nothing of value.

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

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Spoken Usage: Hands

SpeakerPhrase(s)

Donald Evans

Well, Mark, what he's saying is, look, we need to get money back in the hands of the consumers. Those that are paying two taxes, we need to get money in their hands. And that's what he says should be a part of this stimulus package.

Ed Smart

You know, I've kind of left that in the polices' hands. It's one of those things that is part of the investigation that I can't talk about.

Geoffrey Hoon

My impression is that it will be a mixture of things. Those that resist will certainly suffer in the way that we've seen thousands of Iraqis suffer at the hands of coalition forces when they have stood and fought.

Rush Limbaugh

The Kyoto treaty is just a disguised attempt to get the world's hands into our back pocket while blaming us for this supposed catastrophe that is global warming.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Speeches: Hands

SpeakerTermPhrase(s)

George Washington

1789-1797Besides, something is due to the Man who puts his life in his hands, hazards his health, and forsakes the Sweets of domestic enjoyments.

Abraham Lincoln

1861-1865His duty is to administer the present Government as it came to his hands and to transmit it unimpaired by him to his successor.

Harry S. Truman

1945-1953I am glad to be a part of the peaceful transfer of the vast power of the Presidency from my hands to his.

John F. Kennedy

1961-1963For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life.

Lyndon B. Johnson

1963-1969But if there are some who do not believe this, then, in the name of justice, let them call for the contribution of those who live in the fullness of our blessing, rather than try to strip it from the hands of those that are most in need.

Gerald Ford

1974-1977More money must remain in private hands where it will do the most good.

Ronald Reagan

1981-1989Had that nuclear monopoly been in the hands of the Communist world, the map of Europe--indeed, the world--would look very different today.

George Bush

1989-1993That would truly put more competition in elections and more power in the hands of individuals.

Bill Clinton

1993-2001To take further steps to keep guns out of the hands of criminals.

George W. Bush

2001-2005And there's no better way to help our economy grow than to leave more money in the hands of the men and women who earned it.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Usage Frequency: Hands

"Hands" is generally used as a noun (plural) -- approximately 98.85% of the time. "Hands" is used about 18,816 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted)
Parts of SpeechPercentUsage per
100 Million Words
Rank in English
Noun (plural)98.85%18,600497
Noun (proper)1.01%19022,288
Lexical Verb (-s form)0.14%2668,323
                    Total100.00%18,816N/A

Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.

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Name Usage Frequency: Hands

The following table summarizes the usage of "hands" based on a population census conducted in the United States. Ranks and frequencies are based on all names reported and classified.
NameUsage/GenderUsage per 100
million Persons
Rank in USA
HandsLast name40021,542
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.

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Expressions: Hands

Expressions using "hands": agreed on all hands All hands all hands on deck! all hands to quarters! at all hands be good with one's hands be in good hands carpenter's hands change hands clap of the hands clap one's hands clasp hands clasp one's hands Clean hands come out of smth. with clean hands commit to the hands of Comparison of hands cross one's hands eczema of hands excessive sweating of the hands fall into the hands of for four hands get smth. off one's hands hands down hands free enables Hands off hands off our village! hands off! hands over fist hands up hands up! have blood on one's hands have one's hands full have wandering hands heaven forbid! far be it from! hands off! hold hands hooked hands i wash my hands of it imbrue one's hands in blood imbrue the hands in blood imposition of hands in good hands In one's hands in safe hands in the hands of into the hands of join hands keep one's hands off keep one's hands off smth. lay hands on lay one's hands on lay violent hands on lay violent hands on oneself lay violent hands on smb. laying on of hands leathery hands make things with smb.'s hands off one's hands on all hands on one's hands on one's hands and knees pass through one's hands pipe up all hands play into smb.'s hands play into the hands of plenty remain on one's hands rescue from the hands of rub one's hands run one's hands over scrub one's hands set one's hands to shake hands shake hands on smth. shake hands with shake hands with people shake hands with smb. shake of hands show of hands spread one's hands forth stick your hands up! take into one's hands take it in one's hands take off one's hands take one's courage in both hands take smth. off smb.'s hands take the bit in one's hands take the law into one's own hands the house has changed hands throw up one's hands tie smb.'s hands time hanging heavily on one's hands time hanging heavy on one's hands To change hands To clap hands To clap the hands To fall into one's hands To have one's hands full To have the cards in one's own hands To lay hands on To lay hands on one's self To lay violent hands on one's self. Additional references.

Hyphenated Usage

Beginning with "hands": hands-as, hands-down, hands-flat-against-the-roof-of-the-car, hands-free, Hands-heart, hands-of, hands-off, hands-on, hands-on-hip, hands-on-hips, hands-on-plants, hands-on-regulator-and-shovel, hands-on-science.

Ending with "hands": charge-hands, farm-hands, mill-hands, stage-hands.

Containing "hands": minutes-hands-on, washing-his-hands-of-the-matter.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Frequency of Internet Keywords: Hands

The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com.
 
ExpressionFrequency
per Day
ExpressionFrequency
per Day

hands

1,785

jewel hands lyrics

75

praying hands

890

hands swollen

73

poker hands

558

picture of praying hands

72

big club hands

405

car hands free kit

68

blue tooth hands free

277

daddys hands lyrics

64

holding hands

273

sinner in the hands of an angry god

58

daddys hands

227

mobile phone hands free

58

hands free

222

clean hands

56

healing hands

200

numb hands

56

hands up

172

hands free kit

56

helping hands

168

tingling hands

54

shake hands

150

hands free phone

54

hands hulk

124

big hands

53

hands praying tattoo

111

hands tied

52

sweaty hands

108

to be the hands of god

52

hands picture

104

free hands kit mobile phone uk

50

hands free cell phone

96

hands free cell phone kit

50

hands shaking

95

edward hands scissor

50

idle hands

91

washing my hands

48

numbness in hands

89

atlanta hands

47
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Modern Translation: Hands

Language Translations for "hands"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.

Albanian

  

përgjegjësi (accountability, blame, charge, cognizance, fault, hand, onus, responsibility), kontroll (checkup, clutches, control, disposal, exam, examination, grip, hand, inspection, mastery, monitoring, probe, restraint, search, supervision, swaddling clothes, verification). (various references)

   

Arabic 

  

‏أيادى. (various references)

   

Aymara

  

ampar loqtaña (to shake hands). (various references)

   

Blackfoot

  

sstsimiiyi (to wash hands). (various references)

   

Bulgarian 

  

ръце. (various references)

   

Chinese 

  

(HAND). (various references)

   

Czech

  

ruce. (various references)

   

Danish

  

håndfri (hands-free), håndeksem (contact-type dermatitis, eczema of hands, hand eczema), håndfri kit (hands free car kit), håndfri sæt (hands free car kit), håndfrit udstyr (hands free enables), håndsoprækning (show of hands), haard hud i haanden (callosoty of hands), haandtremor (tremor of hands), håndeczem (eczema of hands, hand eczema), foretage afstemning ved håndoprækning (to vote by show of hands), afstemningen ved håndsoprækning (show of hands, vote by show of hands), arbejdsbetinget hyperkeratose i haanden (callosoty of hands), arbejdsbetinget kallositet i haanden (callosoty of hands), autopilotflyvning (hands-off), ejendom i institutionseje (landed property in control of dead hands, landed property in mortmain), erhvervet hånddeformitet hos tømrer (carpenter's hands), adskillelse af funktioner (closed shop, hands-off operation), uafhaendelig ejendom (landed property in control of dead hands, landed property in mortmain), vaskekonehænder (housewife's dermatitis, housewife's eczema, housewives'eczematous dermatitis, washerwomen's hands), tremor manuum (tremor of hands), ikke-personligt ejet ejendom (landed property in control of dead hands, landed property in mortmain), erhvervet hånddeformitet hos glasblæsere (glass blowers'cramp, hooked hands). (various references)

   

Dutch

  

hands free car kit (hands free car kit), handenvrij telefoneren (hands free enables), handsfree (hands-free), wisselen van eigenaar (to exchange hands), afblijven van (keep one's hands off), automatische piloot (hands-off), beving van de handen (tremor of hands), de hand schudden (shake hands), de stemming bij handopsteken (show of hands), eelt (corn), feitelijke stoornis (taking the law in one's own hands), grondeigendom in de dode hand (landed property in control of dead hands, landed property in mortmain), afblýven van (keep one's hands off), stemming bij handopsteken (vote by show of hands), zichzelf recht verschaffen (to take the law into one's hands), timmermanshand (carpenter's hands), klauwhand (glass blowers'cramp, hooked hands), laten staan (keep one's hands off), opheffing (abrogation, cancellation, repeal, rescission, show of hands, suspension, suspension of staff, upheaval, uplift, uplift (of the earth's crust)), persoonlijk (personal), stemmen bij handopsteken (to vote by show of hands), glasblazerskramp (glass blowers'cramp, hooked hands). (various references)

   

Esperanto

  

ne tuŝi (keep one's hands off), manpremi (shake hands). (various references)

   

Finnish

  

työväki (workers, working men). (various references)

   

French

  

mains. (various references)

   

Frisian

  

ôfbliuwe (keep one's hands off). (various references)

   

German

  

Hände. (various references)

   

Greek 

  

χέρια, δείκτες (index, indicators). (various references)

   

Hebrew 

  

לידי (into a state of, into the hands of, to, to the hands of), ליטול ידים (wash one's hands), לפרוש כנפים (mantle, spread one's hands forth), להתנער מכל אחריות (wash one's hands), להחליף בעלות (change hands), לנצח בקלות (win hands down), לא לגעת (hands off), אל תתערב (hands off), הצבעה בהרמת ידים (show of hands), במו ידיו (with my own hands), בלי ידים (hands off), נטילת ידים (washing hands). (various references)

   

Hungarian

  

kezezés. (various references)

   

Indonesian

  

berbimbing-bimbing (cooporate, hold hands). (various references)

   

Italian

  

mani. (various references)

   

Japanese Kanji 

  

合掌 (pressing one's hands together in prayer). (various references)

   

Japanese Katakana 

  

てぶり (movements or gestures of hands or arms), だいがかわる (to be succeeded, to change hands), もろて (approvingly, both hands), もみで (rubbing one's hands together), よつずもう (sumo wrestling in which both wrestlers grasp the other's belt with both hands), よつんばい (falling flat, on all fours, on one's hands and feet), よっつんばい (falling flat, on all fours, on one's hands and feet), けいりゃくにのる (to fall into a trap, to play into another's hands), みずからのてで (with one's own hands), はくしゅ (applause, clapping hands), とりまわす (to dispose of, to manage, to rotate in one's hands, to treat), とりあう (to clasp, to compete, to respond, to scramble for, to take each other's hands), てがたりない (be short of hands), てしごと (handwork, manual labor, working with one's hands), あんしゅ (laying on of hands, ordination, owner of a hermitage), てわざ (work using the hands), ちょうず (water for washing or moistening one's hands), てみず (water for washing or moistening one's hands), てをむすぶ (to join hands), てをつなぐ (to join hands), てをひく (to lead by the hand, to wash one's hands of), てうす (insufficient, short of hands), てあし (limbs, one's hands and feet), てうち (capital punishment given personally by a feudal lord after a disrespectful act, killing with bare hands, making noodles by hand, reconciliation), てあたりしだい (haphazardly, using anything one can lay one's hands on), ていっぱい (having one's hands full), てつき (manner of using one's hands, way of doing something), てどり (after tax income, catch in one's hands, net income, seizure), てばなし (lack of reserve or restraint, letting go one's hold, openly, without holding on, without using the hands), あんしゅれい (laying on of hands, ordination), てをくむ (to join hands together), ひとのてにおちる (to fall into another's hands), たかてこて (bound hands and arms), たけとんぼ (small wooden Japanese toy that flies when spun between the palms of one's hands), すで (bare hands, unarmed), がっしょう (a superb view, alliance of states against a powerful enemy, chorus, pressing one's hands together in prayer, singing in a chorus, splendor, superb poem or song), ぜんいん (all hands, all members, the whole crew), ホールドアップ (Hands up!, Hold up!), パチパチ (the sound of clapping hands), そうしゅ (approvingly, both hands, constancy, fidelity, suzerain), そうのて (both hands), そういん (all hands, all the members, monastery, temple, the entire strength), くうけん (with bare hands, with or from nothing), しゅちゅうにする (to be in one's hands), しゅちゅうに (in the hands), シェークハンド (shake hands), ほおづえをつく (to rest one's chin in one's hands), あやしいてつきで (clumsily, with clumsy hands), あしをあらう (to quit, to wash one's feet, to wash one's hands of), りょうて (approvingly, both hands), りょうのて (both hands). (various references)

   

Korean 

  

(HAND). (various references)

   

Manx

  

skimmee (cast, company, crew, gang, ship's company). (various references)

   

Maori

  

ruuruu (to shake hands). (various references)

   

Pig Latin

  

andshay.(various references)

   

Portuguese

  

tripulao, trabalhadores (work-people), posse (appropriation, asset, demesne, domain, fruition, gear, grasp, hand, hold, induction, occupancy, occupation, ownership, pleasure, possession, property, proprietorship, tenure). (various references)

   

Portuguese Brazilian

  

mãos. (various references)

   

Romanian

  

braţe. (various references)

   

Russian 

  

экипаж (cab, carriage, company, crew, equipage, rig, team). (various references)

   

Scottish

  

màm (a handful, hill of a round, large round hill, slowly rising form, the full of the two hands of any). (various references)

   

Serbo-Croatian

  

ruke. (various references)

   

Spanish

  

tripulación (aircrew, crew, ship, ship's company), manos (dabs, ember, hooks), las manos. (various references)

   

Swedish

  

händer (happens, occur, occurs). (various references)

   

Thai

  

ร่วมมือกับ (join hands with). (various references)

   

Turkish

  

eller (others, people). (various references)

   

Turkmen 

  

яeсlenmek (shake hands), elleюmek (shake hands). (various references)

   

Ukrainian

  

команда (brigade, party, squad, team), екіпаж (car, carriage, cart, crew, equipage, team, waggon, wagon). (various references)

Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references.

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Ancestral Language Translations: Hands

LanguagePeriodTranslations
Latin500 BCE-Modern

manus. (various references)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Bible Trace: Hands

LanguageDateSourceProverbs Chapter 31, Verse 20
Greek (transliterated)250 BCSeptuagintCeiraV de authV dihnoixen penhti karpon de exeteinen ptwcw
Latin405VulgateCaph manum suam aperuit inopi et palmas suas extendit ad pauperem
Middle English1395WyclifCaf. Hir hond she openede to the helpeles, and hir paumes she strayte out to the pore.
Jacobean English1611King JamesShe stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
Victorian English1833WebsterShe stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yes, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
Basic English1964OgdenHer hands are stretched out to the poor; yes, she is open-handed to those who are in need.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Matched Bible Translations: Hands

LanguageProverbs Chapter 31, Verse 20
CebuanoGinatuy-od niya ang iyang kamot ngadto sa mga kabus; Oo, nagatunol siya sa iyang mga kamot ngadto sa mga hangul.
CroatianSiromahu dlan svoj otvara, ruke pruža nevoljnicima.
DanishHun rækker sin Hånd til den arme, rækker Armene ud til den fattige.
DutchCaph. Zij breidt haar handpalm uit tot den ellendige; en zij steekt haar handen uit tot den nooddruftige.
FinnishHän avaa kätensä kurjalle, ojentaa köyhälle molemmat kätensä.
FrenchElle tend la main au malheureux, Elle tend la main à l`indigent.
GermanSie breitet ihre Hände aus zu dem Armen und reicht ihre Hand dem Dürftigen.
HungarianMarkát megnyitja a szegénynek, és kezeit nyújtja a szûkölködõnek.
Indonesian-Bahasa Sehari-hariIa tidak kikir kepada yang berkekurangan; ia baik hati kepada yang memerlukan pertolongan.
Indonesian-Terjemahan LamaMaka dibukakannya tangannya selalu kepada orang miskin, dan diunjuknya tangannya kepada orang yang kekurangan.
ItalianApre le sue mani al misero, stende la mano al povero.
MaoriKa wherahia tona ringa ki te ware; ae ra, ka totoro atu ona ringa ki te rawakore.
NorwegianHun åpner sin hånd for den trengende og rekker ut sine hender til den fattige.
PortugueseCafe. Abre a mão para o pobre; sim, ao necessitado estende as suas mãos.   
RumanianEa kwi kntinde mkna cqtre cel nenorocit, kwi kntinde brayul cqtre cel lipsit.
RussianдМБОШ УЧПА ПОБ ПФЛТЩЧБЕФ ВЕДОПНХ, Й ТХЛХ УЧПА РПДБЕФ ОХЦДБАЭЕНХУС.
SpanishSus manos extiende al pobre y tiende sus manos al necesitado.
SwedishFör den betryckte öppnar hon sin hand och räcker ut sina armar mot den fattige.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Derivations & Misspellings: Hands

Derivations

Words beginning with "hands": handsaw, handsaws, handsbreadth, handsbreadths, handsel, handseled, handseling, handselled, handselling, handsels, handset, handsets, handsewn, handsful, handshake, handshakes, handshaking, handshakings, handsome, handsomely, handsomeness, handsomenesses, handsomer, handsomest, handspike, handspikes, handspring, handsprings, handstand, handstands. (additional references)

Words ending with "hands": backhands, chargehands, clubhands, cowhands, deckhands, dockhands, farmhands, forehands, longhands, overhands, shorthands, stagehands, unhands. (additional references)

Words containing "hands": unhandsome, unhandsomely. (additional references)


Misspellings

"Hands" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: bhands, haands, hadna, hadno, hads, Hajdu, Hamda, Hamdu, hanad, handd, hande, handes, handi, handls, hando, handsshh, Handt, handus, handys, hanis, hanish, hanod, hans, hansy, hants, hanus, haydns, Hendo, hentz, hindes, hindt, hindu, hnals, Huandi, Hundt, hyaenids, khandas. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

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Rhyming with "Hands"

# of Phoneme MatchesPronunciationWord(s) rhyming with "hands" (pronounced ha"ndz or ha"nz)
4-a" n d zands, bands, brands, commands, demands, expands, glands, grands, lands, Meadowlands, misunderstands, rands, sands, stands, strands, understands, withstands.
3-n d zabounds, almonds, amends, armbands, ascends, astounds, attends, contends, corresponds, backgrounds, Badlands, battlegrounds, befriends, behinds, bends, binds, blends, blinds, blondes, blonds, bloodhounds, bonds, bookends, bounds, boyfriends, bunds, campgrounds, commends, compounds, confounds, defends, depends, descends, diamonds, dividends, Docklands, ends, errands, expounds, extends, fairgrounds, farmhands, farmlands, fends, fiends, finds, Firebrands, flatlands, forehands, friends, fronds, funds, girlfriends, grasslands, grinds, grounds, handstands, headbands, Highlands, hinds, hinterlands, Hollands, homelands, hounds, husbands, intends, islands, kinds, legends, lends, ligands, lowlands, marshlands, masterminds, Midlands, milliseconds, minds, moorlands, mounds, nanoseconds, newsstands, offends, overspends, playgrounds, ponds, portends, pounds, pretends, quicksands, rebounds, recommends, refunds, reminds, reprimands, responds, rinds, rounds, seconds, sends, sounds, spacebands, spends, stagehands, stipends, surrounds, suspends, tends, thousands, Timberlands, transcends, trends, turnarounds, uplands, vagabonds, wands, weekends, wends, wetlands, winds, woodlands, woodwinds, wounds.
3-a" n zbans, cans, clans, fans, Japans, Mans, minivans, pans, pecans, plans, sans, scans, sedans, spans, tans, trans, vans.

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

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Anagrams: Hands

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

Words within the letters "a-d-h-n-s"

-1 letter: ands, dahs, dash, hand, sand, shad.

-2 letters: ads, and, ash, dah, had, has, nah, sad, sha.

-3 letters: ad, ah, an, as, ha, na, sh.

 Words containing the letters "a-d-h-n-s"
 

+1 letter: danish, hondas, sandhi, shandy.

 

+2 letters: dahoons, daphnes, darshan, dasheen, dashing, dharnas, dhurnas, dishpan, gnashed, hadrons, hagdons, handles, handsaw, handsel, handset, hardens, husband, sandhis, sandhog, shading, shanked, unhands.

 

+3 letters: adhesion, admonish, banished, blandish, bodhrans, brandish, bushland, cowhands, dandyish, daphnias, darshans, dasheens, dauphins, deanship, deashing, dianthus, dishpans, downwash, echidnas, encashed, enchased, handbags, handcars, handfast, handfuls, handguns, handiest, handlers, handless, handlist, handoffs, handouts, handsaws, handsels, handsets, handsewn, handsful, handsome, hangdogs, hanseled, hardness, hardnose, hardpans, hastened, hatbands, headings, headpins, headsman, headsmen, herdsman, hollands, husbands, hydrants, manhoods, pinheads, redshank, sandfish, sandhogs, sandshoe, sandwich, shadchan, shadings, shandies, shetland, skinhead, snatched, stanched, standish, sunshade, swanherd, thousand, uncashed, unlashed, unshaded, unshamed, unshaped, unshared, unshaved, unwashed, vanished.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro.

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INDEX

1. Definition
2. Synonyms
3. Crosswords
4. Usage: Modern
5. Usage: Commercial
6. Images: Slideshow
7. Images: Photo Album
8. Images: Digital Art
9. Sounds
10. Quotations: Familiar
11. Quotations: Historic
12. Quotations: Fiction
13. Quotations: Non-fiction
14. Quotations: Spoken
15. Quotations: Speeches
16. Usage Frequency
17. Names: Frequency
18. Expressions
19. Expressions: Internet
20. Translations: Modern
21. Translations: Ancient
22. Bible Trace
23. Derivations
24. Rhymes
25. Anagrams
26. Bibliography


  

Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.