English Reference
verb · adjective

handed

v. · adj.
US /ˈhændəd/ UK /hˈændɪd/ hand·ed

  1. 01 A2 Elementary

    v.gave something to someone using your hand.

    v.the past tense of 'hand', meaning to have delivered or passed an object to another person physically.

    Simple

    He handed the keys to his sister before he left for work.

    In context

    The witness handed the folder to the judge, who examined the documents in silence before continuing the hearing.

  2. 02 B1 Intermediate

    adj.used in words like 'left-handed' to describe which hand you use or how many hands you have.

    adj.used in combination to form adjectives describing the number, type, or preference of hands.

    Simple

    The shop sells special scissors for left-handed students.

    In context

    The factory was designed for two-handed operation to ensure that workers kept both hands away from the dangerous machinery during the press cycle.

    Usage

    Always used as part of a compound word with a hyphen.


From hand + -ed.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level A2 · Elementary
Frequency Common
Updated