Dictionary

shake hands en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

Meanings

1. (Ireland, no-plural) an instance of shaking hands; a handshake
   • Many a shake hands did I get from the neighbours’ sons, wishing me joy 1834, William Carleton, "Shane Fadh's Wedding", Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry, Volume 1, p.178 (W. F. Wakeman)
   • He exchanged greetings with his rival, but their shake-hands was rather a cold one, and each looked the other askance, as if distrust was in their hearts. 1909, Frederick Lawton, translation of Jules Verne, The Chase of the Golden Meteor, p.44 (London: Grant Richards)
   • It was the first time a Minister ever left the country without a ceremonial goodbye and a shake hands at the airport, with the tall hats being doffed. 1967 July 27, Jack McQuillan, Livestock Marts Bill, 1967: Second Stage (Resumed). Seanad Debates, Vol.63 No.12 p.4 col.928
   • I wasn’t sure if it was goodbye, but as soon as I saw Terry I knew it was the last time I was going to see him, and the shake hands was the last shake hands I’d ever have with him. 2015 February 1, Brian D'Arcy, quoted in Cork Examiner "Terry Wogan's friend Father Brian D'Arcy tells of their emotional final handshake"

shake hands en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

Meanings

1. To grasp another person's hands as an expression of greeting, farewell, agreement, etc.
   • Shaking hands is probably the most common form of social touch in the U.S., and it’s thought to have originated many centuries ago as assurance that neither party was carrying a weapon. 2020 May 27, Mandy Oaklander, “The Coronavirus Killed the Handshake and the Hug. What Will Replace Them?”, in Time:
   • If political calculation so required, he could pelt a man with mud one day and shake hands with him the next. 1978 [1976], Leszek Kołakowski, translated by P[aul] S[teven] Falla, Main Currents of Marxism, volume II: The Golden Age, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Główne nurty marksizmu: rozwój (in Polish), →ISBN, →OCLC, page 522:
   • Gerald was enthusiastic. After a while they shook hands, it being time to separate. And for a long time Selwyn sat there alone in the visitors' room, absent-eyed, facing the blazing fire of cannel coal. 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter II, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
2. (figuratively) To part, to say farewell.
   • ⁠But thou and I have shaken hands, ⁠Till growing winters lay me low; ⁠My paths are in the fields I know, And thine in undiscover’d lands. 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XXXIX”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 61:

Forms

Deriveds

shake hands with the milkman · shaking hands and kissing babies

Descendants

sekhan · sekan

Relateds

handshake

Translations (63)

sl rokovati se (grasp another person's hands) · la dextrās cōpulor (grasp another person's hands) · sh ру̏ковати се (grasp another person's hands) · yue 握手 (grasp another person's hands) · tr tokalaşmak (grasp another person's hands) · es darse la mano (grasp another person's hands) · mk се ракува (grasp another person's hands) · id bersalaman (grasp another person's hands) · bg ръку́вам се (grasp another person's hands) · it stringere la mano (grasp another person's hands) · be паці́снуць ру́ку (grasp another person's hands) · nb håndhilse (grasp another person's hands) · fi kätellä (grasp another person's hands) · nn handhelse (grasp another person's hands) · hu kezet szorít (grasp another person's hands) · lt paspausti rankas (grasp another person's hands) · ru пожа́ть ру́ку (grasp another person's hands) · he לחצו ידיים / לָחֲצוּ יָדַיִם (grasp another person's hands) · ru пожима́ть ру́ку (grasp another person's hands) · hu kezet ráz (grasp another person's hands) · pl uścisnąć dłoń (grasp another person's hands) · de Hände schütteln (grasp another person's hands) · nl handen schudden (grasp another person's hands) · az əl vermək (grasp another person's hands) · fa-ira دَسْت دادَن (grasp another person's hands) · uk поти́снути ру́ку (grasp another person's hands) · ja ハンドシェークする (grasp another person's hands) · pt apertar as mãos (grasp another person's hands) · sv skaka hand (grasp another person's hands) · ja 握手する (grasp another person's hands) · fr serrer la main (grasp another person's hands) · hak 扼手 (grasp another person's hands) · km រលាក់ដៃ (grasp another person's hands) · gl apertar a man (grasp another person's hands) · az əl sıxmaq (grasp another person's hands) · km ចាប់ដៃ (grasp another person's hands) · hy ձեռք սեղմել (grasp another person's hands) · hi हाथ दबाना (grasp another person's hands) · hu kezet fog (grasp another person's hands) · id berjabat tangan (grasp another person's hands) · cs potřást rukou (grasp another person's hands) · tr el sıkışmak (grasp another person's hands) · lo ຈັບມື (grasp another person's hands) · sk potriasť rukou (grasp another person's hands) · ko 악수하다 (grasp another person's hands) · tg даст фушурдан (grasp another person's hands) · ar صَافَحَ (grasp another person's hands) · vi bắt tay (grasp another person's hands) · th จับมือ (grasp another person's hands) · nn handhelsa (grasp another person's hands) · nb handhilse (grasp another person's hands) · mi harirū (grasp another person's hands) · nan-hbl 頓手 /顿手 (grasp another person's hands) · sh rȕkovati se (grasp another person's hands) · ast chocala (grasp another person's hands) · grc δεξιὰν δίδωμι (grasp another person's hands) · uk поти́скувати ру́ку (grasp another person's hands) · is takast í hendur (grasp another person's hands) · chy -a'xaót (grasp another person's hands) · ast chocar la mano (grasp another person's hands) · unm ànkunsi (grasp another person's hands) · cmn 握手 (grasp another person's hands) · be ці́снуць ру́ку (grasp another person's hands)