handgift means A gift given directly (i.e. by hand), usually to a newly wedded couple; a wedding gift. It carries an Arena rating of 1590, earned across 7 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, handgift ranks #1,290 of 17,149 for Most Exacting Words, #1,765 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words, #2,687 of 17,142 for Most Ingenious Words, #3,334 of 17,105 for Most Storied Words.
Why “handgift” is a great word
A tangible offering passed directly from one person to another, most traditionally a present given to a newlywed couple. From Middle English *handgift*, from Old English *handgift* ("a gift given by hand; a marriage gift"), equivalent to hand + gift. Unlike a "dowry," which is property transferred from a bride's family to the groom, or a "donation," an impersonal contribution to an institution, a handgift is a ceremonial act of personal giving between individuals. It is the weight of a silver candlestick placed in the palm, the solid heft of a linen-bound book, and the cool smoothness of a porcelain bowl—a physical token that anchors an abstract vow to the material world, a small bulwark against time’s erasures.
Etymology
From Middle English *handgift, from Old English handgift (“a gift given by hand; a marriage gift”), equivalent to hand + gift. Compare Dutch handgift, Middle High German hantgift (“handgift”).
noun
- A gift given directly (i.e. by hand), usually to a newly wedded couple; a wedding gift
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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