Handful

Pronunciation: /ˈhænd.fəl/

Definitions of handful

noun a small quantity or number

Example Sentences

A1 I only need a handful of ingredients to make this recipe.

A2 She grabbed a handful of candies from the jar.

B1 The teacher gave each student a handful of pencils for the exam.

B2 He had a handful of loyal friends who always supported him.

C1 The CEO only trusted a handful of executives with the company's top secrets.

C2 The artist's work is highly sought after, but he only takes on a handful of clients each year.

Examples of handful in a Sentence

formal The chef carefully measured out a handful of spices for the recipe.

informal Could you pass me a handful of chips from the bowl?

slang I only need a handful of minutes to finish this task.

figurative Dealing with a handful of difficult customers can be challenging.

Grammatical Forms of handful

• plural: handfuls
• comparative: more handful
• superlative: most handful
• present tense: handful
• future tense: will handful
• perfect tense: have handful
• continuous tense: is handfuling
• singular: handful
• positive degree: handful
• infinitive: to handful
• gerund: handfuling
• participle: handfulled

Origin and Evolution of handful

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Old English

Story behind the word: The word 'handful' originated from Old English, where 'hand' referred to the body part and 'ful' meant 'full'.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'handful' evolved to refer to a small, easily held quantity or amount, expanding from its literal meaning of a hand being full.