hand to hand

hand to hand idiom
  1. In close combat; also, at close quarters. For example, If the enemy came any closer they would soon be fighting hand to hand. This expression, dating from about 1400, is usually restricted to military contexts but occasionally sees more general use.
  2. from hand to hand. From one person to another; through a succession of persons. For example, The instructions were passed from hand to hand until everyone had seen them, or Over the generations the family albums went from hand to hand. [Mid-1500s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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