handful

IPA(Pronunciation)

/ˈhæn(d)fʊl/

Noun

obsolete colloquial slang

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.

Japanese Meaning

手に握れる量、一握りの量 / （古語）手の幅、手の幅ほどの長さ（約4インチ） / 少数、通常は概ね5個程度 / ひと握りの集まり、一団

What is this buttons?

She grabbed a handful of berries from the basket and tasted one.

Google Translation / DeepL Translation

彼女はかごから一握りのベリーをつかみ、一つを味見した。

Details

Sense（1）

The amount that a hand will grasp or contain.

I put two or three corns in my mouth, liked it, stole a handful, went into my chamber, chewed it, and for two months after never failed taking toll of every pennyworth of oatmeal that came into the house. - Joseph Addison, The Spectator, Vol. VI

Google Translation / DeepL Translation

Details

Sense（2）

(obsolete) A hand's breadth; four inches.

Knap the tongs together about a handful from the bottom.

Google Translation / DeepL Translation

Details

Sense（3）

A small number, usually approximately five.

This handful of men were tied to very hard duty.

Google Translation / DeepL Translation

Details

Sense（4）

A group or number of things; a bunch.

But, aunt, she must have had some kind of education, her accent was so pure, her English so unfaulty. The other girl dropped her h's by handfuls, and made some very wild confusion in her native etymology.

Google Translation / DeepL Translation