panhandle

1 of 2

noun

pan·​han·​dle ˈpan-ˌhan-dᵊl How to pronounce panhandle (audio)
: a narrow projection of a larger territory (such as a state)
the Oklahoma Panhandle

panhandle

2 of 2

verb

panhandled; panhandling ˈpan-ˌhan(d)-liŋ How to pronounce panhandle (audio)
-ˌhan-dᵊl-iŋ

intransitive verb

: to stop people on the street and ask for food or money : beg

transitive verb

1
: to accost on the street and beg from
2
: to get by panhandling
panhandler
ˈpan-ˌhan(d)-lər How to pronounce panhandle (audio)
-ˌhan-dᵊl-ər
noun

Examples of panhandle in a Sentence

Noun The Texas Panhandle is the northernmost part of the state. Verb He panhandled for his bus fare. There is a law against panhandling in the subway.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In Nebraska, a massive fire burned over 71,000 acres and an ongoing wildfire in the panhandle of Texas is the biggest in history for that state. David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2024 Fire chief in Texas city hit hard by wildfires dies A Texas fire chief whose small town was among the hardest hit last week by historic blazes sweeping across the state's panhandle died Tuesday while fighting a house fire, authorities said. USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024 Pennington is one of many cattle farmers whose livelihoods have been devastated by the Smokehouse Creek Fire, the largest wildfire in Texas history, which has burned more than a million acres of land across the panhandle. Camila Bernal, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 The bombs were disposed of after being discovered back in January in the Choctawhatchee Bay in the state's panhandle. Pilar Arias, Fox News, 15 Feb. 2024 The storm made landfall as a Category 3 Wednesday morning at Keaton Beach in the Big Bend area — the region where the Florida peninsula meets the panhandle. Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 30 Aug. 2023 More than 85% of the state’s cattle population is in the panhandle, according to Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. Zoe Sottile, CNN, 2 Mar. 2024 Today, there is a chance of a wintry mix for some of the areas in the panhandle impacted by the fires, the weather service said. Nigel Chiwaya, NBC News, 29 Feb. 2024 About a day later, two men were rescued and one man was presumed dead after an avalanche swept through a mountain on Idaho's panhandle. USA TODAY, 5 Feb. 2024
Verb
Like other castaways, John often panhandled in the city. Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2024 The number of homeless people has spiked since the COVID-19 pandemic, but city efforts to crack down on camping, loitering and panhandling predate the public health crisis. Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 7 Jan. 2024 The rain is forecast to hit from the Florida panhandle up to near D.C. around 7 a.m. Sunday. Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 9 Dec. 2023 Alexandria police issued about 50 summonses using the panhandling ordinance over the last decade, and none have been issued since 2020, Fleming said. Danny Nguyen, Washington Post, 14 Oct. 2023 Carroll Strickland was among those who used to sleep in tents outside Union Station and panhandle inside the terminal, sometimes to the annoyance of hurried passengers. Courtland Milloy, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2023 City officials since at least 2021 have publicly presented the restriction as a way to address complaints stemming from people panhandling while on the dividing strip or in the middle of streets where there is no median. Dallas News, 2 Mar. 2023 The ordinance, enacted in 1994, also limits panhandling within 15 feet of ATMs, which runs afoul of a 2015 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. Danny Nguyen, Washington Post, 14 Oct. 2023 The man was seen panhandling and littering even though he had previously been warned to stay away from the business. cleveland, 1 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'panhandle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

back-formation from panhandler, probably from panhandle, noun; from the extended forearm

First Known Use

Noun

1846, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1890, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of panhandle was in 1846

Dictionary Entries Near panhandle

Cite this Entry

“Panhandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/panhandle. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

panhandle

1 of 2 noun
pan·​han·​dle ˈpan-ˌhan-dᵊl How to pronounce panhandle (audio)
: a narrow strip of territory that extends from a larger territory (as a state)
the Texas Panhandle

panhandle

2 of 2 verb
panhandled; panhandling
-ˌhan-(d)liŋ,
-dᵊl-iŋ
: to beg for money on the street
panhandler
-(d)lər How to pronounce panhandle (audio)
-dᵊl-ər
noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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