Main Entry:

hand·ful

Pronunciation:

\ˈhan(d)-ˌfu̇l\

Function:

noun

Inflected Form(s):

plural handfuls \-ˌfu̇lz\ also hands·ful \ˈhan(d)z-ˌfu̇l\

Date:

before 12th century

1 : as much or as many as the hand will grasp 2 : a small quantity or number <a handful of people> 3 : as much as one can manage <the kids are quite a handful>