handler

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noun han·dler \ ˈhan(d)-lər , ˈhan-dᵊl-ər \

Definition of handler

1 :one that handles something

2 a :a person in immediate physical charge of an animal; especially :a person who exhibits dogs at shows or field trials

b :a person who trains or acts as second for a boxer

c :a manager of a political or public figure or campaign

See handler defined for English-language learners

Examples of handler in a Sentence

a dog handler and breeder
a politician and his handlers

Recent Examples of handler from the Web

In addition to the horse being evaluated, the handlers have to be graded too.

— donna vickroy, Daily Southtown, "Miniature horses bring joy, tender mercies across south suburbs," 16 Aug. 2017
At a similar event in June, the company made 601 offers in one day — 501 in manufacturing jobs like aircraft and avionics mechanics, painters and material handlers — and 100 in areas such as engineering, supply chain and finance, Ross said.

— max b. baker, star-telegram, "Lockheed Martin will be hiring ‘on the spot’ Tuesday for F-35 jobs," 13 July 2017
The union representing skycaps, wheelchair attendants, cabin cleaners, and baggage handlers at the luggage carousels said workers will go on strike at Philadelphia International Airport starting Wednesday.

— jane m. von bergen, Philly.com, "Philly airport workers plan strike," 11 July 2017
Seven K-9s and their handlers graduated from the state police's training unit Thursday and will join law enforcement groups across the state.

— matt ormseth, courant.com, "Connecticut State Police Graduates Seven K-9 Officers," 6 July 2017
Fox is extremely quick and a skilled ball handler who showed the ability to get to the basket in his one season at Kentucky.

— josh dubow, The Seattle Times, "Kings land veteran free agents Zach Randolph, George Hill," 4 July 2017
With Malotru in a box, Season 3 gives more space to other characters, especially women: the handler Marie-Jeanne (Florence Loiret-Caille), the spy Marina (Sara Giraudeau), the Syrian scholar Nadia (Zineb Triki).

— mike hale, New York Times, "Policiers Like Your Favorite Crime Show, but French," 2 July 2017
Scott Durano, a former handler of dogs for the department, unveiled the statue, which cost some $2,500 to make.

— gregory tejeda, Daily Southtown, "Oak Forest gets first look at police dog statue," 1 July 2017
McMillan initially promised to train fissile material handlers to be more heedful of plutonium-handling perils, for example, and to bring the inventory and safety documents guiding their work up to date.

— r. jeffrey smith, Science | AAAS, "Safety problems at a Los Alamos laboratory," 30 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'handler.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of handler

14th century

HANDLER Defined for English Language Learners

handler

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noun

Definition of handler for English Language Learners

: a person who trains or controls an animal
: a person who carries or handles something
: a person who guides, helps, or manages a political or public figure

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Spanish Central: Translation of handler Nglish: Translation of handler for Spanish speakers

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