handle

Fetched 2026-10-31 (live).

Synonyms: dandle, handie, candle, bandle, wandle, hande, handly, hantle, hindle, randle, hangle

Antonyms: dandle, handie, candle, bandle, wandle, hande, handly, hantle, hindle, randle, hangle

Related words from Datamuse; suggestions, not definitions.

Noun

1. The part of an object which is (designed to be) held in the hand when used or moved.
2. An instrument for effecting a purpose (either literally or figuratively); a tool, or an opportunity or pretext.
3. The gross amount of wagering within a given period of time or for a given event at one of more establishments.
   • The daily handle of a Las Vegas casino is typically millions of dollars.
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.
6. A title attached to one's name, such as Doctor or Colonel.
   • 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.
   • This article describes how to find the module name from the window handle.
8. A traditional dimpled glass with a handle, for serving a pint of beer.
9. A 10 fluid ounce (285 mL) glass of beer.
10. A half-gallon (1.75-liter) bottle of alcohol.
11. A point, an extremity of land.
    • 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.
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.
15. The amount wagered in the various pari-mutuel pools for a particular event or events.

Verb

1. To touch; to feel or hold with the hand(s).
2. To accustom to the hand; to take care of with the hands.
3. To manage, use, or wield with the hands.
4. To manage, control, or direct.
5. To treat, to deal with (in a specified way).
   • she handled the news with grace
   • the Persians handled the French ambassador shamefully
6. To deal with (a subject, argument, topic, or theme) in speaking, in writing, or in art.
7. To receive and transfer; to have pass through one's hands; hence, to buy and sell.
   • a merchant handles a variety of goods, or a large stock
8. To be concerned with; to be an expert in.
9. To put up with; to endure (and continue to function).
   • I can't handle this hot weather.
10. To use the hands.
11. To illegally touch the ball with the hand or arm; to commit handball.
12. To behave in a particular way when handled (managed, controlled, directed).
    • the car handles well

Source: Wiktionary · CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wiktionary) · cached copy, not a rewrite.