panhandle

1 of 2

noun

pan·​han·​dle ˈpan-ˌhan-dᵊl 

: 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 

-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 

-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

Debby slammed into the Big Bend coast, where the Florida panhandle meets the peninsula, near Steinhatchee, a small oceanside town about 70 miles west of Gainesville, at around 7 a.m. EDT. —Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2024

Meanwhile in the South, a large section of the Florida panhandle was under a hurricane warning as Tropical Storm Debby gathered strength in the Gulf of Mexico. —Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 4 Aug. 2024

Verb

If water sports are more your style, this Florida panhandle hidden gem might just be your father-daughter dream destination. —Karla Walsh, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2024

The Gulf Coast from the Florida panhandle westward to Brownsville has a 38% chance of a major hurricane making landfall. —Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2024

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

Kids Definition

panhandle

1 of 2 noun

pan·​han·​dle ˈpan-ˌhan-dᵊl 

: 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 

-dᵊl-ər

noun