: any of a family (Palmae synonym Arecaceae) of mostly tropical or subtropical monocotyledonous trees, shrubs, or vines with usually a simple stem and a terminal crown of large pinnate or fan-shaped leaves
2
: a leaf of the palm as a symbol of victory or rejoicing
: the somewhat concave part of the human hand between the bases of the fingers and the wrist or the corresponding part of the forefoot of a lower mammal
2
: a flat expanded part especially at the end of a base or stalk (as of an anchor)
3
[Latin palmus, from palma]: a unit of length based on the breadth or length of the hand
4
: something (such as a part of a glove) that covers the palm of the hand
Noun (1)
the judges' decision was unanimous: the palm would go to the pianist who had played an early piece by Chopin Verb
The store's owner had seen one of the girls palm a lipstick before heading for the door.
To do the card trick, you have to learn to palm one of the cards.
He was called for palming the ball.
The kick was palmed away by the goalkeeper.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Flocks of sparrows and parrots chirp and squawk in the palms overhead.—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 9 June 2024 It is complemented by a laser that projects text onto the palm of a user’s hand for tasks like skipping a song while playing music.—Erin Griffith, New York Times, 6 June 2024 The pieces of creatures were small enough to fit in the palm of a hand and scattered everywhere, broken into bits after years of exposure.—Elizabeth Hernandez, The Denver Post, 1 June 2024 At their best, palms impart an elegance unmatched by any other tree.—Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 25 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for palm
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'palm.' 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
Noun (1)
Middle English, from Old English, from Latin palma palm of the hand, palm tree; from the resemblance of the tree's leaves to the outstretched hand; akin to Greek palamē palm of the hand, Old English folm, Old Irish lám hand
Noun (2)
Middle English paume, palme, from Anglo-French, from Latin palma
First Known Use
Noun (1)
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
: any of a family of mostly tropical or subtropical woody trees, shrubs, or vines usually with a simple but often tall stem topped by a crown of very large feathery or fan-shaped leaves
2
a
: a palm leaf especially when carried as a symbol of victory or rejoicing
: the somewhat concave part of the human hand between the bases of the fingers and the wrist or the corresponding part of the forefoot of a lower mammal
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