handy
/ˈhæn.di/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.97 in modern English
12
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
adj
Of a freight ship: having a small cargo capacity (less than 40,000 DWT); belonging to the handysize class.
noun
The hand.
Example Sentences
- "Some people regard duct tape as a handy fix-all."
- "You wouldn’t have a screwdriver handy, would you?"
- "I keep a first-aid kit handy in case of emergency."
- "Have you a sheet of paper handy?"
- "And finally, have potholders and a stack of old towels handy before you begin. Dye splashes and drips may occur, so protect surfaces and be prepared to clean countertops."
- "She's very handy: she made all her own kitchen cupboards."
Etymology
From Middle English handy, hondi (attested in personal names), alteration of earlier hendi (“handy, skillful”), from Old English *hendiġ (“skillful”) (attested in listhendiġ (“skilled in art”)), from Proto-West Germanic *handīg, *handag, *handug, from Proto-Germanic *handugaz (“handy, skillful, nimble”), from *handuz (“hand”), equivalent to hand + -y. Cognate with Saterland Frisian jäntich (“handy”), Middle Low German handich (“skillful, apt”), Middle High German handec, hendec (“manual, hand-held”), Old Norse hǫndugr (“efficient”), Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌿𐌲𐍃 (handugs, “wise, clever”). Akin to Dutch handig (“handy”), Norwegian hendig (“handy”), Swedish händig (“handy”).