hand down
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Verb (transitive) 1. To pass something to someone younger or of a later generation, especially as an inheritance or tradition. - This is the primary meaning, focusing on the transfer of physical objects, knowledge, customs, or responsibilities from one generation to the next. 2. To formally announce or deliver a decision, ruling, or judgment from a position of authority. - This meaning is primarily used in legal and official contexts, where a court or authority issues a final decision.
Usage and Examples
- The family handed down the antique clock from father to eldest son for over a century.
- These recipes were handed down to me by my grandmother.
- The court is expected to hand down its verdict tomorrow.
- The committee handed down a series of new regulations.
Advanced Usage
- "to be handed down": Often used in the passive voice to describe something received from the past.
- The tradition of gathering for this festival has been handed down for generations.
- In legal contexts, the object is typically a ruling, sentence, judgment, or decision.
- The judge handed down a severe sentence to the convicted criminal.
Variants and Related Words
- Hand-me-down (noun/adjective): An item, especially clothing, passed on from an older sibling or person.
- As the youngest, I always wore my brother's hand-me-downs.
Synonyms
- Bequeath: To leave property or knowledge to someone after one's death (formal, often legal).
- Pass on: A more general term for transferring something to another person.
- Transmit: To pass or spread something, like knowledge or a disease.
- Issue: To formally send out or make known (used for rulings, statements).
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Hand on: Very similar to "hand down" in the sense of passing something to the next person in a sequence.
- Please hand on this document to the next department when you're finished.
- Hand over: To give something to someone, often implying a transfer of control or responsibility.
- The guard was ordered to hand over the keys.
Related Idioms
- A handed-down tradition: A custom or practice that has been passed through generations.
- Making this special cake is a handed-down tradition in our family.
Verb
- passed on, as by inheritance
- This ring was handed down through many generations