HANDLE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does handle mean? 

• HANDLE (noun)
  The noun HANDLE has 1 sense:

1. the appendage to an object that is designed to be held in order to use or move it

  Familiarity information: HANDLE used as a noun is very rare.

• HANDLE (verb)
  The verb HANDLE has 6 senses:

1. be in charge of, act on, or dispose of

2. interact in a certain way

3. act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression

4. touch, lift, or hold with the hands

5. handle effectively

6. show and train

  Familiarity information: HANDLE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HANDLE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The appendage to an object that is designed to be held in order to use or move it

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

grip; handgrip; handle; hold

Context example:

it was an old briefcase but it still had a good grip

Hypernyms ("handle" is a kind of...):

appendage (a part that is joined to something larger)

Meronyms (parts of "handle"):

shank; stem (cylinder forming a long narrow part of something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "handle"):

ax handle; axe handle (the handle of an ax)

hilt (the handle of a sword or dagger)

hoe handle (the handle of a hoe)

knob (a round handle)

haft; helve (the handle of a weapon or tool)

mop handle (the handle of a mop)

panhandle (the handle of a pan)

pommel; saddlebow (handgrip formed by the raised front part of a saddle)

crop (the stock or handle of a whip)

pommel (a handgrip that a gymnast uses when performing exercises on a pommel horse)

rake handle (the handle of a rake)

stock (the handle end of some implements or tools)

gunstock; stock (the handle of a handgun or the butt end of a rifle or shotgun or part of the support of a machine gun or artillery gun)

broom handle; broomstick (the handle of a broom)

Holonyms ("handle" is a part of...):

racket; racquet (a sports implement (usually consisting of a handle and an oval frame with a tightly interlaced network of strings) used to strike a ball (or shuttlecock) in various games)

saucepan (a deep pan with a handle; used for stewing or boiling)

spatula (a turner with a narrow flexible blade)

mug (with handle and usually cylindrical)

aspergill; aspersorium (a short-handled device with a globe containing a sponge; used for sprinkling holy water)

ladle (a spoon-shaped vessel with a long handle; frequently used to transfer liquids from one container to another)

umbrella (a lightweight handheld collapsible canopy)

watering can; watering pot (a container with a handle and a spout with a perforated nozzle; used to sprinkle water over plants)

teacup (a cup from which tea is drunk)

French telephone; handset (telephone set with the mouthpiece and earpiece mounted on a single handle)

hand tool (a tool used with workers' hands)

baggage; luggage (cases used to carry belongings when traveling)

baseball bat; lumber (an implement used in baseball by the batter)

briefcase (a case with a handle; for carrying papers or files or books)

brush (an implement that has hairs or bristles firmly set into a handle)

carpet beater; rug beater (implement for beating dust out of carpets)

carrycot (box-shaped baby bed with handles (for a baby to sleep in while being carried))

cheese cutter (a kitchen utensil (board or handle) with a wire for cutting cheese)

coffee cup (a cup from which coffee is drunk)

bat; cricket bat (the club used in playing cricket)

cutlery; eating utensil (tableware implements for cutting and eating food)

edge tool (any cutting tool with a sharp cutting edge (as a chisel or knife or plane or gouge))

faucet; spigot (a regulator for controlling the flow of a liquid from a reservoir)

frying pan; frypan; skillet (a pan used for frying foods)

handbarrow (a rectangular frame with handles at both ends; carried by two people)

cart; go-cart; handcart; pushcart (wheeled vehicle that can be pushed by a person; may have one or two or four wheels)

handlebar (the shaped bar used to steer a bicycle)

coffeepot (tall pot in which coffee is brewed)

Derivation:

handle (touch, lift, or hold with the hands)

• HANDLE (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Be in charge of, act on, or dispose of

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

care; deal; handle; manage

Context example:

She managed her parents' affairs after they got too old

Hypernyms (to "handle" is one way to...):

command; control (exercise authoritative control or power over)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "handle"):

administer; administrate (work in an administrative capacity; supervise or be in charge of)

touch (deal with; usually used with a form of negation)

carry on; conduct; deal (direct the course of; manage or control)

direct (be in charge of)

misconduct; mishandle; mismanage (manage badly or incompetently)

process (deal with in a routine way)

juggle (deal with simultaneously)

mind; take care (be in charge of or deal with)

dispose of (deal with or settle)

come to grips; get to grips (deal with (a problem or a subject))

work (cause to operate or function)

organise; organize (cause to be structured or ordered or operating according to some principle or idea)

coordinate (bring into common action, movement, or condition)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

handler (an agent who handles something or someone)

handling (the management of someone or something)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Interact in a certain way

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

do by; handle; treat

Context example:

Handle the press reporters gently

Hypernyms (to "handle" is one way to...):

interact (act together or towards others or with others)

Verb group:

address; cover; deal; handle; plow; treat (act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression)

treat (regard or consider in a specific way)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "handle"):

baby; cocker; coddle; cosset; featherbed; indulge; mollycoddle; pamper; spoil (treat with excessive indulgence)

abuse; ill-treat; ill-use; maltreat; mistreat; step (treat badly)

gloss over; skate over; skimp over; slur over; smooth over (treat hurriedly or avoid dealing with properly)

do well by (treat with respect and consideration)

brutalise; brutalize (treat brutally)

rough-house (treat in a rough or boisterous manner)

upstage (treat snobbishly, put in one's place)

ride roughshod; run roughshod (treat inconsiderately or harshly)

strong-arm (handle roughly)

nurse (treat carefully)

criminalize (treat as a criminal)

handle with kid gloves (handle with great care and sensitivity)

wrong (treat unjustly; do wrong to)

cut; disregard; ignore; snub (refuse to acknowledge)

bemock; mock (treat with contempt)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s something Adjective/Noun
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 3

Meaning:

Act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

address; cover; deal; handle; plow; treat

Context example:

The new book treats the history of China

Hypernyms (to "handle" is one way to...):

broach; initiate (bring up a topic for discussion)

Verb group:

do by; handle; treat (interact in a certain way)

comprehend; cover; embrace; encompass (include in scope; include as part of something broader; have as one's sphere or territory)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "handle"):

theologise; theologize (treat from a theological viewpoint or render theological in character)

discourse; discuss; talk about (to consider or examine in speech or writing)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sense 4

Meaning:

Touch, lift, or hold with the hands

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

handle; palm

Context example:

Don't handle the merchandise

Hypernyms (to "handle" is one way to...):

touch (make physical contact with, come in contact with)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "handle"):

fumble (handle clumsily)

manhandle (handle roughly)

manipulate (hold something in one's hands and move it)

field (catch or pick up (balls) in baseball or cricket)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

handle (the appendage to an object that is designed to be held in order to use or move it)

handling (the action of touching with the hands (or the skillful use of the hands) or by the use of mechanical means)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Handle effectively

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

handle; manage; wield

Context example:

The young violinist didn't manage her bow very well

Hypernyms (to "handle" is one way to...):

manipulate (hold something in one's hands and move it)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "handle"):

ply (wield vigorously)

pump (operate like a pump; move up and down, like a handle or a pedal)

sweep; swing; swing out (make a big sweeping gesture or movement)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 6

Meaning:

Show and train

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Context example:

The prize-winning poodle was handled by Mrs. Priscilla Prescott

Hypernyms (to "handle" is one way to...):

control; keep in line; manipulate (maintain influence over (others or oneself) skillfully, usually to one's advantage)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

handler ((sports) someone in charge of training an athlete or a team)

handler (one who trains or exhibits animals)

 Context examples 

See here, mister, said he, I make no complaint of being man-handled in this fashion, but I would have you call things by their right names.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Be sure to let your dentist handle these adjustments.

(Dentures, NIH: National Institute on Aging)

In addition, the team’s previous work showed that exercise improves sensitivity to insulin and glucose handling throughout the whole body in the obese mother.

(Exercise in pregnancy improves health of obese mothers by restoring their tissues, University of Cambridge)

Density is the main factor that is usually linked to bone strength and, in assessing that strength, most researchers look at how much load a bone can handle at one time.

(Discovery may lead to osteoporosis treatment, National Science Foundation)

I was learning more and more seamanship; and one clear day—a thing we rarely encountered now—I had the satisfaction of running and handling the Ghost and picking up the boats myself.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Even Ben Gunn himself has admitted that she was “queer to handle till you knew her way.”

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Prior work suggests that face processing and color processing are handled by largely separate brain circuits.

(Rosy health and sickly green: color associations play robust role in reading faces, National Institutes of Health)

Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM) In the past 30 days, how often have you been worried about how you're handling your medications?

(COMM - Worry About Handling Medications, NCI Thesaurus)

"I say," Walt broke in, "it is remarkable the way he lets you handle him."

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

He was wild, wayward, and, to speak the truth, I could not trust him in the handling of large sums of money.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)