With object denoting a member of the body. to lay hands (or †hand) onor upon (†also in, to) a person or thing; (in the earliest quots. const…

transitive. To treat (a person) harshly or violently; to assail, drag, shake, etc., roughly. Obsolete.

To attack, lay hands on, meddle with.

transitive. To handle roughly; to set upon with violence; to bully. Obsolete.

To pull about roughly; to touse, to maul.

to shear against the wool (fig.): ? to treat roughly. Obsolete.

transitive. To convey forcibly; to handle roughly; to fight, attack.

transitive. To seize or take hold of (a person). Later: to apprehend or arrest (a criminal or suspect) (originally U.S.). Cf. finger, n. phrases…

transitive. To pull this way and that, to pull in various directions; (colloquial) to treat roughly or unceremoniously.

transitive. To handle roughly, maul; to spoil.

transitive. To treat (a person) in an aggressive or bullying manner. Also with out.

transitive. To grab, to yank around with force; to handle roughly.

To treat (someone) roughly, to manhandle.

transitive. To deal roughly with, treat harshly or aggressively; to manhandle; = to rough up 5 at phrasal verbs 5.

(intransitive) to act as a hooligan; also transitive, to treat (a person) roughly.

transitive. To handle roughly or violently; to mistreat in a rough manner. Also in weakened sense: to engage (a person) in friendly horseplay.

transitive. More generally: to damage or harm (a person or thing); to treat harshly or savagely.

transitive. To treat violently, assault, manhandle; to inflict damage. Also: to abuse verbally; = sense 2c. Frequently in passive.

Colloquial phrase to treat 'em rough, to manhandle (people, etc.), to treat harshly or aggressively. As a motto: see quot. 1918. Also (hyphenated) as…