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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

in hand en · ADP

Pronunciation

  • (Southern-England) audio

Meanings

  1. In physical possession; at one's disposal.
  2. Held in the hand or hands.
    • Grab a Wincheter in hand and take the land.
    • Pen in hand, I turned back to the letter I was writing.
  3. (obsolete) In the presence of a particular person.
  4. Under consideration; currently being dealt with or addressed.
    • 'What have they to do with the matter in hand - the murder on this train?' 1934, Agatha Christie, chapter 6, in Murder on the Orient Express, London: HarperCollins, published 2017, page 119:
    • They form part of the vast electrification and reconstruction schemes which have been in hand for a number of years at Liverpool Street, and in suburban Essex, and include the rearrangement of tracks, of which the Ilford flyover forms part; the modern signal boxes, now needed only at key points; the electric control or sub-stations; and a large electric car shed. 1951 January, R. A. H. Weight, “A Railway Recorder in Essex and Hertfordshire”, in Railway Magazine, page 44:
    • Observations that are foreign to the matter in hand
  5. Under control.
    • You need to get this situation in hand, and fast.
  6. Of the cue ball: not on the table; able to be positioned by the current player.
  7. (UK) Still to be played.
    • At the other end […] the Sounders completed a run that had taken them from 15 points off the lead, to first place in the Supporters Shield standings with two games in hand. 2013 September 16, The Guardian:

Antonyms

neglected · ignored · out of hand

Deriveds

hat in hand · cap in hand · four-in-hand · three-in-hand · cash in hand

Synonyms

on hand · handy · to hand · at hand · at hand · at the ready

Translations (13)

fr en main (held in the hand) · ta கையில் (at one's disposal) · ta கையில் (held in the hand) · it in mano (held in the hand) · ml കയ്യിൽ (held in the hand) · la sub frenō (under control) · it in mano (under control) · ml കയ്യിൽ (under control) · ml കയ്യിൽ (at one's disposal) · la in frenīs (under control) · fr sous la main (at one's disposal) · ta கையில் (under control) · fr sous contrôle (under control)