handful — a quantity that fills the hand
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: a quantity that fills the hand
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈhændfʊl/
Example Sentences
- My three-year-old nephew is such a handful that even Superman would need a coffee break.
- Only a handful of people attended the 6 AM yoga class.
- She threw a handful of rice at the wedding couple, accidentally hitting the photographer.
handful
NOUN[/ˈhændfʊl/]
a quantity that fills the hand
She picked up a handful of berries from the basket.
Only a handful of engineers could repair the ancient clock tower. (HAND + FULL = HANDFUL → a handful is an amount that fills your hand, or only a small number)
A handful of coins, a sandful of dreams, a bandful of colors!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Derived from Old English 'handfull', a compound word literally meaning 'as much as the hand can hold'. Originally a practical measurement unit used since medieval times to quantify grains, herbs, and other materials by the amount that could be grasped in one hand.
Breakdown
hand (the human appendage) + full (completely filled or containing the maximum capacity) = a quantity that fits in and fills one closed hand.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My three-year-old nephew is such a handful that even Superman would need a coffee break.”
“Only a handful of people attended the 6 AM yoga class.”
“She threw a handful of rice at the wedding couple, accidentally hitting the photographer.”
“The teacher could manage the class with just a handful of simple rules.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related
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