Word: handle Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Middle English handel, handle, from Old English handle (“handle”), from Proto-West Germanic *handulā (“handle”). See verb below. Cognate with German Hantel (“dumbbell, barbell”), Danish handel (“handle”). Related to hand. Pronunciation: /ˈhæn.d(ə)l/, /ˈheə̯n.d(ə)l/, /ˈhɛə̯n.d(ə)l/ 1. The part of an object which is (designed to be) held in the hand when used or moved. Example: Once his fingers strayed to the handle of his hunting-knife, and I should have interfered had I not been conscious that Wickliffe was on his guard. Example: By pushing the fork downwards so that its teeth pass the handle of the stopper, and then turning the cover of the desiccator 90°, the handle of the stopper falls into the furrows and rests upon them. 2. An instrument for effecting a purpose (either literally or figuratively); a tool, or an opportunity or pretext. Example: They overturned him to all his interests by the sure but fatal handle of his own good nature. Example: Nothing can be more reprehensible, or wicked, than to make Christian Missions a handle for political expansion. 3. The gross amount of wagering within a given period of time or for a given event at one of more establishments. Example: The daily handle of a Las Vegas casino is typically millions of dollars. Example: For a casino table game,the handle is difficult to determine, as it consists of all the bets made in every game, whether by chip or by cash play. 4. The tactile qualities of a fabric, e.g., softness, firmness, elasticity, fineness, resilience, and other qualities perceived by touch. 5. A name or nickname, especially as an identifier over the radio or Internet. Labels: slang Example: We sat together at the restaurant and asked him about his handle (CB name). Example: This was so unexpected that Jack came close to gabbling out his real name instead of the one he had used at the Golden Spoon, the name he also used if the people who picked him up asked for his handle. 6. A title attached to one's name, such as Doctor or Colonel. Labels: slang Example: The successful businessman was knighted and acquired a handle to his name. 7. A reference to an object or structure that can be stored in a variable. Example: This article describes how to find the module name from the window handle. Example: A handle for a type instance is similar to an open file descriptor; it is used to reference that type instance when performing operations on it. 8. A traditional dimpled glass with a handle, for serving a pint of beer. Labels: UK, informal 9. A 10 fluid ounce (285 mL) glass of beer. Labels: Australia, New-Zealand Example: A shudder passes over him and he orders another handle of beer. Example: Imagine staring into the heavens on a clear night and seeing a handle of beer floating amongst the stars, or an angel, or the face of a famous celebrity. 10. A half-gallon (1.75-liter) bottle of alcohol. Labels: US Example: Josh bought a fifth of Evan Williams for Andrew as a token of gratitude and Ray, because of the financial constraints, purchased the cheapest handle of whiskey he could find: Heaven Hill. 11. A point, an extremity of land. Labels: rare Example: the Handle of the Sug in Newfoundland 12. A topological space homeomorphic to a ball but viewed as a product of two lower-dimensional balls. Example: Such a 2-handle cancels the 1-handle so the manifold is D⁴. 13. The smooth, irreducible subcurve of a comb which connects to each of the other components in exactly one point. 14. A person's nose. Labels: slang Example: That Nose, which in the infant could annoy, / Was grown a perfect nuisance in the boy. / Whene'er he walk'd, his Handle went before, / Long as the snout of Ferret, or Wild Boar; […] 15. The amount wagered in the various pari-mutuel pools for a particular event or events.