Home › Words › H › handholderhandholderhandholder means one who holds hands (with someone else).EtymologyFrom hand + holder.nounOne who holds hands (with someone else).e.g.“We were never handholders. We were always withdrawn and alone, unlike Italians, Poles, Jews, and other friends I had who were fresh and spontaneous in their affection.” — 1952, Dorothy Day, The Long Loneliness: The Autobiography of Dorothy Day, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, →LCCN, page 35:Someone or something that provides reassurance and/or assistance for doing something difficult.e.g.“In the meantime, Bouchard will continue to play his role as handholder and benefactor to his province and peacemaker for the country.” — 1991, James Fleming, Circles of Power: The Most Influential People in Canada, Doubleday Canada, →ISBN, page 104:Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).Words closest in meaningBy meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.handholdless 65% match — Usually of a man: having never held hands with a member of the opposite sex. vs handholder →handhold 64% match — A projection that one may hold onto for support, e.g. in mountain climbing. vs handholder →handshaker 62% match — One who gives a handshake. vs handholder →ballhandler 61% match — One who handles the ball. vs handholder →handholdable 60% match — Small and light enough to be held in the hand. vs handholder →handclasp 60% match — A handshake. vs handholder →dandler 56% match — Someone who dandles. vs handholder →bottleholder 56% match — A person who attends a boxer during a bout. vs handholder →