As much as the hand will grasp or contain. Addison.
A hand's breadth; four inches. [Obs.] Knap the tongs together about a handful from the bottom. Bacon.
A small quantity. This handful of men were tied to very hard duty. Fuller. To have one's handful, to have one's hands full; to have all one can do. [Obs.] They had their handful to defend themselves from firing. Sir. W. Raleigh.
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