Part 700

As poisonous tongued as handed.

Shak.

Handed is used in composition in the sense of having (such or so many) hands; as, bloody- handed; free-handed; heavy-handed; left- handed; single-handed.

Hand"er (-r), n. One who hands over or transmits; a conveyer in succession. Dryden.

Hand"fast` (-fst`), n. 1. Hold; grasp; custody; power of confining or keeping. [Obs.] Shak.

2. Contract; specifically, espousal. [Obs.]

Hand"fast`, a. Fast by contract; betrothed by joining hands. [Obs.] Bale.

Hand"fast`, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Handfasted; p. pr. & vb. n. Handfasting.] To pledge; to bind; to betroth by joining hands, in order to permit cohabitation, before the celebration of marriage. [Obs.]

Hand"fast`, a. [G. handfest; hand hand + fest strong. See Fast.] Strong; steadfast.[R.] Carlyle.

Hand"fast`ly, adv. In a handfast or publicly pledged manner. [Obs.] Holinshed.

Hand"fish` (-fsh`), n. (Zoˆl.) The frogfish.

Hand"ful (-fl), n.; pl. Handfuls (-flz). [AS. handfull.] 1. As much as the hand will grasp or contain. Addison.

2. A hand's breadth; four inches. [Obs.]

Knap the tongs together about a handful from the bottom.

Bacon.

3. A small quantity or number.

This handful of men were tied to very hard duty.

Fuller.

To have one's handful, to have one's hands full; to have all one can do. [Obs.]

They had their handful to defend themselves from firing.

Sir. W. Raleigh.

Hand"-hole` (-hl`), n. (Steam Boilers) A small hole in a boiler for the insertion of the hand in cleaning, etc.

Hand-hole plate, the cover of a hand- hole.

Hand"i*cap (hn"d*kp), n. [From hand in cap; -- perh. in reference to an old mode of settling a bargain by taking pieces of money from a cap.] 1. An allowance of a certain amount of time or distance in starting, granted in a race to the competitor possessing inferior advantages; or an additional weight or other hindrance imposed upon the one possessing superior advantages, in order to equalize, as much as possible, the chances of success; as, the handicap was five seconds, or ten pounds, and the like.

2. A race, for horses or men, or any contest of agility, strength, or skill, in which there is an allowance of time, distance, weight, or other advantage, to equalize the chances of the competitors.

3. An old game at cards. [Obs.] Pepys.

Hand"i*cap, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Handicapped (-kpt); p. pr. & vb. n. Handicapping.] To encumber with a handicap in any contest; hence, in general, to place at disadvantage; as, the candidate was heavily handicapped.

Hand"i*cap`per (-kp`pr), n. One who determines the conditions of a handicap.