Illustration of palm
- 1palm 1
1
: 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
also
: a branch (as of laurel) similarly used
4
: an addition to a military decoration in the form of a palm frond especially to indicate a second award of the basic decoration
1
: 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
5
: an act of palming (as of cards)
palmed; palming; palms
1
a
: to conceal in or with the hand
palm a card
b
: to take or pick up stealthily
c
: to hand stealthily
palmed him a dollar bill
2
: to impose by fraud
a second imposter to be palmed upon you—
Sir Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott3
: to touch with the palm: such as
a
: to stroke with the palm or hand
b
: to allow (a basketball) to come to rest momentarily in the hand while dribbling thus committing a violation
Synonyms
Examples of palm in a Sentence
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 WebStephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Apr. 2024
Alex’s ability to hold people in the palm of his hand is otherworldly.
—Alex Edelman, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
Small enough to fit into the palm of my hand, it can easily be packed away in a personal item.
—Asia London Palomba, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2024
The ‘Loma bubble’ PLNU sits on a seaside bluff partly shrouded by handsome palm and pepper trees.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2024
Along with showing off the greenery, the Sprinter beverage founder also shared images of the tropical setting from her vacation abode, with an image of the balcony surrounded by big palm leaves, as well as gorgeous shots of the sandy beach and bright blue ocean.
—Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
Using the palm of your hand, press down on the dough to make a rough circle.
—Elise Taylor, Vogue, 9 Apr. 2024
The neighborhood is home to a variety of Victorian and Queen Anne-style houses; sycamore, palm and walnut trees — and previously, well-to-do and working-class residents.
—Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 6 Apr. 2024
The audience is practically, literally eating out of the palm of your hand with all of those witty lyrics.
—Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
Parija Kavilanz, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024
At least that’s what Hal Wallis may have told you after the 1944 Academy Awards when Jack Warner accepted the Casablanca Oscar that some felt should have been palmed by Wallis, the Warner Bros. film’s producer.
—Chris Yogerst, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024
The woman had pushed aside her scarf and unbuttoned her coat so that my mother could place her hand, palm down, directly onto her dress.
—Sanaë Lemoine, Harper's Magazine, 2 Feb. 2024
With no one to palm him off on, Tennant turned up in person at the Royal Festival Hall in London with Bark Ruffalo in tow.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 18 Feb. 2024
Ethan Slater and Ariana Grande | Credit: Stephen Lovekin/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images; Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
In the musical, Glinda palms Boq off on Elphaba's sister Nessarose (played by Marissa Bode on screen), who then develops an unhealthy relationship with him.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 July 2023
To assess my health, my aunt would palm my forehead and check my tongue for changes in color and shape.
—Meng Jin, Vogue, 11 Nov. 2023
The whole operation is very bourgeois, but its convenience does not outshine the furtive satisfactions of being palmed the product by Bruno on the Juniper State lawn.
—Han Ong, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
Yimmi Chara in the 54th minute had one from inside the box that goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa had to palm over the bar.
—Caitlin Murray, oregonlive, 6 May 2021
Noun
The leather is stitched throughout the palm and fingers of the gloves to protect your skin from punctures, and the breathable, sweat-wicking canvas helps keep your hands from overheating, even on sunny summer days.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Apr. 2024
Alex’s ability to hold people in the palm of his hand is otherworldly.
—Alex Edelman, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
Small enough to fit into the palm of my hand, it can easily be packed away in a personal item.
—Asia London Palomba, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2024
The ‘Loma bubble’ PLNU sits on a seaside bluff partly shrouded by handsome palm and pepper trees.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2024
Along with showing off the greenery, the Sprinter beverage founder also shared images of the tropical setting from her vacation abode, with an image of the balcony surrounded by big palm leaves, as well as gorgeous shots of the sandy beach and bright blue ocean.
—Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
Using the palm of your hand, press down on the dough to make a rough circle.
—Elise Taylor, Vogue, 9 Apr. 2024
The neighborhood is home to a variety of Victorian and Queen Anne-style houses; sycamore, palm and walnut trees — and previously, well-to-do and working-class residents.
—Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 6 Apr. 2024
The audience is practically, literally eating out of the palm of your hand with all of those witty lyrics.
—Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
Verb
After a 20-second handwash with soap and drying their hands with a paper towel, a worker places their hands — first palms up, then palms down — under the scanner to activate it.
—Parija Kavilanz, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024
At least that’s what Hal Wallis may have told you after the 1944 Academy Awards when Jack Warner accepted the Casablanca Oscar that some felt should have been palmed by Wallis, the Warner Bros. film’s producer.
—Chris Yogerst, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024
The woman had pushed aside her scarf and unbuttoned her coat so that my mother could place her hand, palm down, directly onto her dress.
—Sanaë Lemoine, Harper's Magazine, 2 Feb. 2024
With no one to palm him off on, Tennant turned up in person at the Royal Festival Hall in London with Bark Ruffalo in tow.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 18 Feb. 2024
Ethan Slater and Ariana Grande | Credit: Stephen Lovekin/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images; Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
In the musical, Glinda palms Boq off on Elphaba's sister Nessarose (played by Marissa Bode on screen), who then develops an unhealthy relationship with him.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 July 2023
To assess my health, my aunt would palm my forehead and check my tongue for changes in color and shape.
—Meng Jin, Vogue, 11 Nov. 2023
The whole operation is very bourgeois, but its convenience does not outshine the furtive satisfactions of being palmed the product by Bruno on the Juniper State lawn.
—Han Ong, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
Yimmi Chara in the 54th minute had one from inside the box that goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa had to palm over the bar.
—Caitlin Murray, oregonlive, 6 May 2021
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.
Dictionary Entries Near palm
Cite this Entry
“Palm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/palm. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
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
b
: an emblem of success or triumph
palm
2 of 3 noun1
: the underside of the hand between the fingers and the wrist
2
: a measure of length based on the width or length of the palm
palm
3 of 3 verb
: to conceal in or pick up secretly with the hand
Etymology
Noun
Old English palm "palm tree," from Latin palma "palm of the hand"; so called because the leaves resemble an outstretched hand
Noun
Middle English paume "palm of the hand," from early French paume (same meaning), from Latin palma "palm of the hand"
Medical Definition
palm
noun
: 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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