Handed

How to spell handed

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce handed

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does handed mean?

1. verbGave or passed something to someone, typically using the hand.

Handed in a sentence

• She handed the signed contract to her manager.

• The waiter handed each guest a menu at the door.

Where does handed come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This is the past tense of the verb 'hand', which itself grew directly out of the noun 'hand', one of the oldest words in English. The noun comes from the Old English 'hond' or 'hand', shared with the Old Frisian and Old Saxon 'hand' and the Old Norse 'hond', all going back to a Germanic root meaning the grasping limb at the end of the arm. The verb sense, 'to pass or give something using the hand', developed naturally from the noun and was well established by the late medieval period. The suffix '-ed' is the ordinary Germanic ending used to form the past tense of regular verbs, so 'handed' simply means the act of handing was completed in the past. Because the root is so familiar and the spelling so regular, the only thing to watch is keeping the single 'd' of 'hand' before adding the past-tense '-ed'.

How the word is built

• hand (the bodily hand; to give by hand)
• -ed (past tense / past participle suffix)