handful, fistful
(noun) the quantity that can be held in the hand
handful, smattering
(noun) a small number or amount; “only a handful of responses were received”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
handful (plural handfuls or handsful)
The amount that a hand will grasp or contain.
(obsolete) A hand's breadth; four inches.
A small number, usually approximately five.
A group or number of things; a bunch.
(colloquial) Something which can only be managed with difficulty.
• (content of a hand): fistful
• handbreadth, handsbreadth
Source: Wiktionary
Hand"ful, n.; pl. Hand flus. Etym: [AS. handfull.]
1. As much as the hand will grasp or contain. Addison.
2. A hand's breadth; four inches. [Obs.] Knap the tongs together about a handful from the bottom. Bacon.
3. A small quantity. This handful of men were tied to very hard duty. Fuller. To have one's handful, to have one's hands full; to have all one can do. [Obs.] They had their handful to defend themselves from firing. Sir. W. Raleigh.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
4 February 2025
(noun) a small plastic magnetic disk enclosed in a stiff envelope with a radial slit; used to store data or programs for a microcomputer; “floppy disks are noted for their relatively slow speed and small capacity and low price”
Contrary to popular belief, coffee beans are not technically beans. They are referred to as such because of their resemblance to legumes. A coffee bean is a seed of the Coffea plant and the source for coffee. It is the pit inside the red or purple fruit, often referred to as a cherry. Just like ordinary cherries, the coffee fruit is also a so-called stone fruit.
