9. Personal possession; ownership; hence, control; direction; management; — usually in the plural. "Receiving
in hand one year's tribute." Knolles.
Albinus . . . found means to keep in his hands the government of Britain.
Milton. 10. Agency in transmission from one person to another; as, to buy at first hand, that is, from the producer,
or when new; at second hand, that is, when no longer in the producer's hand, or when not new.
11. Rate; price. [Obs.] "Business is bought at a dear hand, where there is small dispatch." Bacon.
12. That which is, or may be, held in a hand at once; as: (a) (Card Playing) The quota of cards received
from the dealer. (b) (Tobacco Manuf.) A bundle of tobacco leaves tied together.
13. (Firearms) The small part of a gunstock near the lock, which is grasped by the hand in taking aim.
Hand is used figuratively for a large variety of acts or things, in the doing, or making, or use of which
the hand is in some way employed or concerned; also, as a symbol to denote various qualities or conditions,
as: (a) Activity; operation; work; — in distinction from the head, which implies thought, and the heart,
which implies affection. "His hand will be against every man." Gen. xvi. 12.(b) Power; might; supremacy; —
often in the Scriptures. "With a mighty hand . . . will I rule over you." Ezek. xx. 33. (c) Fraternal
feeling; as, to give, or take, the hand; to give the right hand. (d) Contract; — commonly of marriage; as,
to ask the hand; to pledge the hand.
Hand is often used adjectively or in compounds (with or without the hyphen), signifying performed by
the hand; as, hand blow or hand-blow, hand gripe or hand-gripe: used by, or designed for, the hand; as,
hand ball or handball, hand bow, hand fetter, hand grenade or hand-grenade, handgun or hand
gun, handloom or hand loom, handmill or hand organ or handorgan, handsaw or hand saw, hand-
weapon: measured or regulated by the hand; as, handbreadth or hand's breadth, hand gallop or hand-
gallop. Most of the words in the following paragraph are written either as two words or in combination.
Hand bag, a satchel; a small bag for carrying books, papers, parcels, etc. — Hand basket, a small
or portable basket. — Hand bell, a small bell rung by the hand; a table bell. Bacon. — Hand bill,
a small pruning hook. See 4th Bill. — Hand car. See under Car. — Hand director (Mus.), an
instrument to aid in forming a good position of the hands and arms when playing on the piano; a hand
guide. — Hand drop. See Wrist drop. — Hand gallop. See under Gallop. — Hand gear (Mach.),
apparatus by means of which a machine, or parts of a machine, usually operated by other power, may
be operated by hand. — Hand glass. (a) A glass or small glazed frame, for the protection of plants.
(b) A small mirror with a handle. — Hand guide. Same as Hand director — Hand language, the
art of conversing by the hands, esp. as practiced by the deaf and dumb; dactylology. — Hand lathe.
See under Lathe. — Hand money, money paid in hand to bind a contract; earnest money. — Hand
organ (Mus.), a barrel organ, operated by a crank turned by hand. — Hand plant. (Bot.) Same as
Hand tree — Hand rail, a rail, as in staircases, to hold by. Gwilt. — Hand sail, a sail managed by
the hand. Sir W. Temple. — Hand screen, a small screen to be held in the hand. — Hand screw,
a small jack for raising heavy timbers or weights; (Carp.) a screw clamp. — Hand staff a javelin. Ezek.
xxxix. 9. — Hand stamp, a small stamp for dating, addressing, or canceling papers, envelopes, etc.
— Hand tree (Bot.), a lofty tree found in Mexico having red flowers whose stamens unite in the form
of a hand. — Hand vise, a small vise held in the hand in doing small work. Moxon. — Hand work,
or Handwork, work done with the hands, as distinguished from work done by a machine; handiwork.
— All hands, everybody; all parties. — At all hands, On all hands, on all sides; from every direction; generally.
— At any hand, At no hand, in any (or no) way or direction; on any account; on no account. "And
therefore at no hand consisting with the safety and interests of humility." Jer. Taylor. — At first hand,
At second hand. See def. 10 — At hand. (a) Near in time or place; either present and within reach,
or not far distant. "Your husband is at hand; I hear his trumpet." Shak. (b) Under the hand or bridle.
[Obs.] "Horses hot at hand." Shak. — At the hand of, by the act of; as a gift from. "Shall we receive
good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil?" Job ii. 10. — Bridle hand. See under Bridle.
