different between afew vs handful
afew
afew From the web:
handful
English
Alternative forms
- handfull (archaic)
Etymology
From Middle English handful, hondful, from Old English handful (“handful”), from Proto-Germanic *handufull?, *handufulliz (“handful”), from Proto-Germanic *handuz (“hand”) + *fullaz (“full”); equivalent to hand +? full (“fullness, plenty”) or hand +? -ful. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Hondful (“handful”), West Frisian hânfol (“handful”), Dutch handvol (“handful”), German Handvoll (“handful”), Danish håndfuld (“handful”), Swedish handfull (“handful”), Icelandic handfylli (“handful”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /?hæn(d)f?l/, /?hæn(d)f?l/
Noun
handful (plural handfuls or handsful)
- The amount that a hand will grasp or contain.
- I put two or three corns in my mouth, liked it, stole a handful, went into my chamber, chewed it, and for two months after never failed taking toll of every pennyworth of oatmeal that came into the house. - Joseph Addison, The Spectator, Vol. VI
- (obsolete) A hand's breadth; four inches.
- A small number, usually approximately five.
- This handful of men were tied to very hard duty.
- A group or number of things; a bunch.
- (colloquial) Something which can only be managed with difficulty.
- 2008, Dog Fancy (volume 39, issue 11, page 76)
- Many times dogs are surrendered for reasons such as changes in the family unit, a death in the family, no time to care for a dog, or because that cute little puppy is now a 100 lb untrained handful.
- 2008, Dog Fancy (volume 39, issue 11, page 76)
- (slang) A five-year prison sentence.
Synonyms
- (content of a hand): fistful
- handbreadth, handsbreadth
Derived terms
- have one's handful
Related terms
- handgrip
- handhold
Translations
handful From the web:
- what handful means
- handful what does this mean
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- what does handful of times mean
- what does handful of dates symbolize
- what does handful mean
- what does handfuls of purpose mean
- what's a handful of spinach
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