(a) The human hand; lene of the ~, the palm; shot of ~, darts, javelins; staf of ~, a handstaff; vale of the ~, the central triangle in the palm; bar hondes, unarmed hands; folden hondes, clasped hands; (b) parts associated with the hand: the wrist, arm, palm, fist; gret ~, the arm and hand; litel ~, the hand; also, the palm; (c) a representation in painting, etc., of a hand or wrist; (d) a claw; (e) the hand or hands as symbol: the sense of touch; lecheri of hondes; clene hondes, innocence, good deeds; clensen hondes; even ~, impartiality; glotonous ~, greediness; hoked hondes, a thievish or grasping disposition; riche hondes, money-making habits, ?great wealth; right ~, good works; ~ over hed, recklessly; from ~ to mouth, improvidently; with empti ~, without bait or allurement; washen hondes (of), to disclaim responsibility (for); wringen honde(s, wring the hands as a gesture of grief; (f) something to be held in the hand, a handle, haft, hilt; also, a handful.

In phrases using the literal sense: (a) in (on, upon) ~, in the hand, in (one's) hand; on hondes, in one's hands; ~ bi (in) ~, hand in hand; henten bi hondes, inimen bi ~, nimen bi honde(s, taken bi ~, to take (sb.) by the hand or hands; holden togederes hondes, taken ~ bi ~, join hands; taken in ~, shake hands with (sb.) [cp. OI taka i hendr]; (b) in (on, upon) ~, led with (one's) hand, clutched in (one's) hand, in (one's) company; haven bi ~, leden bi (in, on) ~, to lead (sb.) by the hand; taken in ~, take (sb.) in one's company; wenden in ~, go hand in hand, go together; (c) ~ at (ayen, bi, for, of, to, unto, with) ~, in close combat, in hand to hand struggle; (d) casten hondes into, leien ~ on (upon), leien on ~ on, leien hondes in (into, on), leien with ivel hondes on, putten ~ upon, setten ~ on (upon), setten hondes on, werpen hondes on, to touch (sb. or sth.) with evil or hostile purpose, seize, assault; extenden ~, leien ~ to, stretch out the hand, begin an act; setten ~ to, touch (sth.); (e) as a Biblical religious rite: leien hondes on (upon), putten hondes to, setten hondes over, to lay hands on (sb.), confer the Spirit on (sb.); leiing (putting, setting) on of hondes, onputting of hondes; (f) honde(s and fot (fet), fot (fet) and honde(s, bi hondes and fet, to fot and to ~, hand and foot, completely [cp. fot 14. (g)]; crepen on (upon) hondes, crepen on hondes and fet, clambren on knes and hondes, to crawl; upon hondes and knes; (g) of payment: in ~, paid directly, in ready money; (h) as thou turnest thi ~, while thou might turnen thi ~, in a very short time; bar as min ~, completely bare.

(a) With reference to the use of the hand or hands in making a pledge; in (on) ~, in hondes, with the hand(s placed in another's to confirm a promise or vow; ~ in (on) ~, ?assuredly; in an oath; assuren in ~, to pledge (sth.), entrust; assuren ~, beden ~, holden up honde(s, leien trouth in ~, promise (to do sth.); hoten ~, assure (sb. that sth. is the case); heven up hondes, holden up honde(s, leien trouth in ~ with ~, give one's word; (b) in fig. phrases: haven hondes ful, to have enough to do; nimen on ~, undertake (sth., to do sth.); putten (out) ~, setten to honde(s, exert oneself, undertake a task; putten (setten) to ~, putten hondes, set about (to do sth.); putten ~ to, set about (sth.), meddle with; putten (senden) ~ to ploughe, leien hondes on ploughe, set about a task; taken on ~, undertake a task, undertake (to do sth.), presume, guarantee (that sth. be done); taken in (on, upon) ~, undertake (sth.), enter into (sth.); (c) holden in (on) ~, to keep on good terms with (sb.), flatter, deceive by flattery, temporize with, keep in suspense; holdinge in hondes, prevarications; hongen in ~, suffer delay; leven in ~, leave one part (of a narrative) temporarily in suspense; beren on ~ [see beren v. (1) 12.]; (d) serven at (til, to, unto) ~, serven to hondes, to wait on (sb.), serve; serven at (a, to) fot and ~, serven fro fot to ~, serven from ~ to fot, serven to ~ and fot, wait on (sb.) hand and foot, serve completely, serve in all respects [cp. fot 14. (p)]; fallen til ~, fallen to honde(s and fot (fet), prostrate oneself before (sb.), submit to.

In adverb phrases of place and time: (a) of place: at (bi, in, on, til, to, upon) ~, boun (neigh, ner, redi) at ~, close by, handy, available, ready; neigh at hondes, almost; out of (from) ~, away; bringen to ~, to bring (sb.) to (sb.); (b) of time: at (in, on, to, upon) ~, close in time, shortly, soon, in due course; also, at ~, mature enough (to do sth.), of age; waxen on ~, to become old enough (to do sth.); neigh ~ adv., q.v.; out of ~, at once.

(a) Power, control, direction; -- often pl.; under ~, captive, under control; (out) of hondes, free, out of captivity; redi to ~, available for one's purpose; seculere honde(s, the civil power; bringen to (in) ~, taken in ~, to make (sb.) captive, bring under control; gon (yede) on ~ [cp. OI gonga á hönd], yield(ed; slaken ~ from, release (sb.); (b) possession, keeping; haven on ~, to possess (sth.); also, own property; (c) care, protection; also, of God: benignity, mercy; Goddes ouene honde(s, God's special providence; haven (holden) in ~, to look after (sb.), protect; holden ~ over [cp. OI halda hendi yfir], protect (sb.); nimen under ~, taken on ~, give medical care to (sb.); under hondes, in (someone's) care; (d) honde(s of God, etc., God's vengeance, affliction.

(a) A person, individual, agent; -- also pl.; at first (second, etc.) ~, at first, second, etc., hand; fro(m ~ to ~, from ruler to ruler, from owner to owner, from man to man; mene ~, an intermediary; other ~, second-in-command, deputy; chargen in (on) ~, to lay (sth.) to one's charge; deliveren ~, discharge one's responsibility; his (thin, etc.) ~, himself, yourself, etc.; ~ of him (al), he (everyone); (b) in phrases: me (the, hem, etc.) on ~, to me (thee, them, etc.); at ~, of (thurgh) honde(s, with hondes, at (someone's) hand or hands, through (sb.) as means or instrument; bi the honde(s of, by the hand(s of (sb.), from or by (sb.) as agent or intermediary; of the ~ of, from (sb.); of thi ~, from you; to youre ~, for you; what harm is the on ~, what ails you?; (c) in phrases: at thin (youre) ~, in your presence, before you; at the kinges ~, in the king's presence; at hire ~, with her; nexte here ~, nearest them; of his ~, away from him; on his ~, with him; to (til) ~, to (someone's) hand, to or toward (sb.); him to (til, into) ~, to him; hire (hem, etc.) to ~, to her (them, etc.); with honde(s, bi ~, oneself, personally; mid (with) ouen honde(s, with (one's) own hands, personally; in min hondes, in me; upon thin ~, against you; (d) in expressions implying advantage or disadvantage: comen to honde(s, comen til ~, to come, become available; gon (wel) on ~, prosper, flourish; gon (yede) lithere on ~, do (did) evil (to sb.); stonden on ~, be of concern or advantage (to sb.); stonden (waxen) on ~, of the wind: blow favorably; trukien on ~, deceive (sb.); woken on ~, fail.

Not always distinguishably: (a) Military strength, armed might; bettre (heigher) ~, victory; over ~, q.v.; on even honde(s, on equal terms, with indecisive outcome; bi (in, with) mighti ~, bi (in, thurgh, with) strong ~, in a heigh ~, bi strength of ~, thurgh wightnesse of hondes, with dint of monnes ~, by main force, by force; turnen ~, to make an attack; (b) strength, valor, fighting ability, fighting spirit; of honde(s, with respect to fighting ability; frowardnesse of ~, pugnacity; preven with hondes, to prove in trial by combat; (c) a fight, battle, assault, attack; ben in hondes with, to be in combat with (sb.); dien (ben ded) in hondes, dien (enden) of hondes, dien of ~, die from the assault (of sb.); fallen in honde(s, begin a fight, come to blows; presen (riden, yede) to ~, advance(d to close quarters; withstonden at the ~, resist in battle; (d) an armed band; soldiers; with stron armed ~.

(a) Labor, manual work; also the product of labor; -- usually pl.; (b) skill, manual skill; -- often pl.; bi ame of ~, by guess; while thin ~ is in, while you are at it, while you are in practice; with ~, manually; (c) handwriting; also, personal handwriting.

(a) A deed, action; conduct; herte and honde(s, ~ and herte, wish and deed, thought and deed; ~ ne herte (wille), wish nor action; mouth (tonge, voice) and ~, speech and action, word and deed; holden up ~, holden hondes, to refrain from action; holden ~, restrain (sb.) from acting; (b) in (on) ~, in hondes, in progress, in time, going on; comen in ~, to be dealt with; fallen (wenden) in ~ with, begin (sth.); fallen in ~, negotiate (with sb.); haven in (on), be concerned with, have to deal with, have in hand, have going, arrange; (c) in (on) ~, in existence, in effect, present, within (sb.); bringen in (on, to) ~, to bring (sth.) about; comen in (on, to) ~, come about, come into being.

(a) A position or direction to one side or the other; also fig.; lift ~, right ~; from ~ to (til) ~, from side to side; to the bettre ~, into a better way; leten fallen on ~, to leave aside, put aside; sitten in right ~, occupy the place of honor; (b) a point in time, event, sequel; afore (bifore, tofore) the ~, beforehand [see also afor(e hond, afore hondes, biforen hond, bifore hondes]; after the ~, afterwards; at non ~, in no way, not at all; in the ~, in the sequel, when the time came.

In cpds. and combs.: (a) implements and devices operated or controlled by hand: ~ barwe, a handbarrow; ~ barwe-lode; ~ belle [OE hand-belle], a bell tolled with one hand; ~ hamer [OE hand-hamur]; ~ helme, a helm or tiller moved by hand; ~ molde, ?a mold used with the hands; ~ rother, hand rudder; ~ saue, a handsaw; ~ staf, a walking stick; also, a handle; ~ wain, a hand cart, a wheeled cart; (b) personal weapons, used by one man: ~ axe [OE handæx], a battle-axe; ~ bat, a club; ~ dart, a javelin; ~ gonne; ~ sax [OE hand-seax], a dagger; ~ shaft, the shaft of a spear without the head; ~ sling; ~ slinges, ~ slingeres, soldiers using a hand-sling; (c) actions or abilities of the hand: hond(es casting, waving of hands; ~ dede [cp. OE handdæda, doer with his own hand], a martial exploit; ~ gang, the laying on of hands as a religous rite; ~ grip [OE handgripe], grasp; also fig.; ~ leiinge = ~ gang; ~ lifting, the weight or size that can be lifted by hand; ~ might, power; ~ strok, a blow; ~ tokening, a gesture; hondes werk, handiwork; honde(s wringing; (d) objects that may be held in the hand: ~ bal, a small ball, thrown or batted by hand; also, a game played with such a ball; ~ bok [OE hand-bōc], a small book; ~ rop, a rope managed by hand; ~ table, a writing tablet; (e) objects made for the hands: ~ cloth [OE hand-clāþ], a napkin; ~ cops [OE hand-cops], a manacle, handcuff; ~ ring, a finger ring; ~ touaille, a small towel; (f) ~ bar, empty-handed; ~ strong, strong-armed; (g) ~ bond [cp. OI handa-band], what is due or pledged to one; also, the marriage debt; ~ solde, given personally (by the king); ?~ wedding, a secret marriage; (h) ~ fedde, fed by hand; ~ writ [cp. OE hand-gewrit], a bond, decree, law; ~ writing, handwriting; (i) ~ lime, ?error for ~ worm; ~ worm [OE handwyrm], the itch mite (Acarus scabiei); (j) ~ moule [cp.OD, EDD, mool v.], ?a hollowing or cupping of the hand (perhaps used as an obscene gesture); ~ wrist [OE hand-wyrst], the wrist; (k) ~ maide (maiden, servaunt, wummon), a handmaid, female servant; (l) ~ while, ~ long while [OE hand-hwīl], a short space of time, a moment.