Definition

1. Noun:
   • The long hand on a clock or watch that indicates minutes: The "big hand" is the longer of the two main hands on an analog timepiece. It points to the minutes on the clock face, moving 360 degrees each hour.

Usage

• The "big hand" is used primarily when teaching children or giving simple, informal time-telling instructions. It is a colloquial term contrasting with the "little hand" (which indicates the hour).
• Example: "When the big hand is on the twelve and the little hand is on the three, it's three o'clock."

Examples

• Noun:
  • Look at the clock. Where is the big hand pointing? (It is pointing to the 6, so it is 30 minutes past the hour.)
  • In the picture, the big hand is on the nine, meaning it is 45 minutes past the hour.

Advanced Usage

• While "big hand" is common in everyday speech, more formal or technical contexts use the term minute hand.
  • The minute hand of the antique clock needed repair.

Variants and Related Words

• Minute hand (n): The formal term for the long hand on a clock or watch that shows minutes.
• Little hand (n): The informal term for the shorter hand that indicates the hour.
• Hour hand (n): The formal term for the short hand on a clock or watch that shows the hour.
• Second hand (n): The hand on some clocks and watches that shows the seconds, often thinner and moving continuously.

Synonyms

• Minute hand: The direct, standard synonym.

Notes

• The term "big hand" is almost exclusively used in the context of analog clocks and watches. It is not used for digital time displays.
• This term is often part of the instructional phrase: "The big hand is on the [number], and the little hand is on the [number]."

Noun

1. points to the minutes