handless
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Middle English handles, from Old English *handlēas, from Proto-Germanic *handulausaz (“handless”), equivalent to hand + -less. Cognate with West Frisian hânleas (“handless”), German handlos (“handless”), Icelandic handlauss (“handless”).
Adjective
handless (comparative more handless, superlative most handless)
- Without any hands.
- c. 1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene v]:
- Together with his mangled Myrmidons, That noseless, handless, hack'd and chipp'd, come to him
- (obsolete) Not handy; awkward.
- 1886 May 1 – July 31, Robert Louis Stevenson, Kidnapped, being Memoirs of the Adventures of David Balfour in the Year 1751: […], London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 1886, →OCLC:
- We’ll take a dram for luck, and as soon as this handless man of mine has the collops ready, we’ll dine and take a hand at the cartes as gentlemen should.
- 1891, Dugald Ferguson, Vicissitudes of Bush Life in Australia and New Zealand, page 55:
- This, however, was a thing that, left to himself, would have simply rendered Bill Lampiere a most handless workman at everything he attempted.
Related terms
Translations
without a hand
|
Etymology 2
From handleless, by haplology, under the influence of etymology 1 above.
Adjective
handless (not comparable)
- Without a handle.
Translations
without a handle — see handleless
Anagrams
Wikiwand in your browser!
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
