Handful definition
Only a handful of people on the street.
The hyperactive toddler is a real handful.
A mere handful of people.
An example of a handful is the number of people in the audience for the local music show.
An example of a handful is the amount of peanuts that fit in your hand when you reach into a bowl.
Those twins are a real handful to look after.
An example of a handful is a small child who is overactive.
This handful of men were tied to very hard duty. - Fuller.
Other Word Forms
Noun
Origin of handful
- From Middle English, from Old English handful (“handful”), from Proto-Germanic *handfullą, *handfullō, *handfulljô (“handful”), from Proto-Germanic *handuz (“hand”), *fullaz (“full”), equivalent to hand + full (“fullness, plenty”). Cognate with West Frisian hânfol (“handful”), Dutch handvol (“handful”), Danish håndfuld (“handful”), Swedish handfull (“handfull”), Icelandic handfylli (“handful”).
From Wiktionary