palmful
Definition
Noun: The amount that a hand (specifically the palm) can hold; a handful.
Usage Examples
- (The amount of sand that fit in her cupped hand.)
- (A small quantity of water held in the palm of his hand.)
Advanced Usage
"a palmful of": Used to describe a small, hand-held quantity of a substance, often granular or liquid.
- Add a palmful of salt to the pot. (Approximately the amount that fits in one's cupped hand.)
"by the palmful": In quantities that can be held in the palm.
- The children collected seashells by the palmful. (They gathered them in small, hand-sized amounts.)
Variants and Related Words
Palm (n): the inner surface of the hand between the wrist and fingers.
- He placed the coin in the center of his palm. (The flat part of the hand.)
Handful (n): an amount that can be held in one hand; a small number or quantity.
- She picked up a handful of berries. (A quantity that fills the hand.)
Synonyms
- Handful: the amount that can be held in one hand.
- Cupped hand: the shape of the hand when held open to hold something.
Idioms
- "a palmful of something": Not a common idiom, but used literally to describe a small, hand-held amount.
- He offered me a palmful of peanuts. (A small, informal serving.)
Phrasal Verbs
- Palm off: to dispose of something by deception or trickery.
- He tried to palm off the broken watch as a working one. (To get rid of something dishonestly.)
Related Words
- Palm (v): to conceal in the hand, especially in a deceptive manner.
- The magician palmed the coin before the trick. (He hid it in his hand.)