v., -dled, -dling, -dles. v.tr.
- To touch, lift, or hold with the hands.
- To operate with the hands; manipulate.
- To deal with or have responsibility for; conduct: handles matters of corporate law.
- To cope with or dispose of: handles problems efficiently.
- To direct, execute, or dispose of: handle an investment.
- To manage, administer to, or represent: handle a boxer.
- To deal or trade in the purchase or sale of: a branch office that handles grain exports.
To act or function in a given way while in operation: a car that handles well in the snow.
n.- A part that is designed to be held or operated with the hand.
- An opportunity or a means for achieving a purpose.
- Understanding or control: has a handle on the situation.
- Slang. A person's name.
- Games. The total amount of money bet on an event or over a set period of time.
get (or have) a handle on Informal.
- To achieve an understanding of: I was finally able to get a handle on the true nature of the problem.
[Middle English handelen, from Old English handlian.]
handleless han'dle·less adj.SYNONYMS handle, manipulate, wield, ply. These verbs mean to use or operate with or as if with the hands. Handle applies widely and suggests competence: The lumberjack handled the ax expertly. The therapist handled every problem with sensitivity. Manipulate connotes skillful or artful management: The pilot confidently manipulated the controls in the cockpit. When manipulate refers to people or personal affairs, it often implies deviousness or fraud in gaining an end: I realized I'd been manipulated into helping them. Wield implies freedom, skill, ease, and effectiveness in handling physical or figurative implements: Ready to make kindling, she wielded a hatchet. The mayor's speechwriter wields a persuasive pen. It also connotes effectiveness in the exercise of intangibles such as authority or influence: The dictator wielded enormous power. Ply suggests industry and persistence: The hungry child was plying his knife and fork with gusto. The term also applies to the regular and diligent engagement in a task or pursuit: She plies the banker's trade with great success. See also synonyms at touch, treat.
