释义 |
palm I. \ˈpä]m, ˈpȧ] also ]lm; archaic ˈpam\ noun (-s) Etymology: in sense 1, from Middle English palme, from Old English palm, palma, palme; akin to Old High German palma palm tree, Old Norse palmr; all from a prehistoric North Germanic-West Germanic word borrowed from Latin palma palm of the hand, palm tree (from the resemblance of its leaves to an outstretched hand); in other senses, from Middle English paume, from Middle French, from Latin palma; akin to Old English folm palm of the hand, Old High German folma, Greek palamē, Sanskrit pāṇi hand, Old English flōr floor — more at floor 1. a. : a plant of the family Palmae — see betel palm, cabbage palm, coconut palm, fan palm, feather palm, piassava, palmetto, palmyra, rattan, wax palm b. (1) : a leaf of the palm borne or worn as a symbol of rejoicing or victory : palm branch (2) : a branch of any of various trees or shrubs (as hazel, willow, laurel, yew, larch) used especially in religious observances as a substitute for symbolic palm; also : a tree or shrub yielding such palms c. (1) : a symbol or token of superiority, success, or triumph (2) : the quality or state of being superior, successful, or triumphant d. : an addition to a military or other honorary decoration in the form of a palm frond used especially to indicate that the wearer has a second time merited the basic decoration 2. a. (1) : the somewhat concave part of the human hand between the bases of the fingers and the wrist upon which the fingers close when flexed (2) : the corresponding part of the forefoot of a lower mammal b. : merus 3. : a flat expanded part especially when at the end of a slenderer base or stalk: as a. : the broad flattened part of an antler (as of a moose) b. : the blade of an oar or paddle c. : the end of a bar or pipe flattened to provide a surface for bolting or riveting to a support d. (1) : the flat inner face of an anchor fluke — see anchor illustration (2) : fluke II 1 e. : a flat surface on a shaft strut of a ship's hull or on the end of a deck stanchion 4. [Latin palmus, from palma] : any of various units of length based on the breadth of the hand and varying from around 3 to 4 inches or on the length of the hand from the wrist to the ends of the fingers and varying from around 7 to 10 inches 5. : something that covers the palm of the hand: as a. : a piece of leather or heavy canvas fitted to the palm for protection when sewing heavy material (as harness leather or a sail) by hand and often equipped with a metal boss or slug for pushing the needle through the material b. : the part of a glove that covers the palm < a fabric glove with soft suede palm > 6. [palm (III) ] : an act of palming (as of cards, dice, or coins) < did a skillful palm of the extra card > II. adjective 1. : of or relating to a palm (as the palm plant or the palm of the hand) < palm leaves > < a firm palm pressure > 2. : derived from or made of palm < palm fiber > III. transitive verb (-ed/-ing/-s) 1. : to touch with the palm: as a. : stroke with the palm or hand b. : to shake hands with c. : to allow (a basketball) to remain in contact with the hand while moving the hand and arm thus usually committing a violation 2. a. : to conceal in or with the hand < palm a card > b. : to abstract by picking up stealthily and concealing < likely to palm any small thing left lying around > 3. : to impose by fraud — used with on or upon < trash fit only to be palmed on the unwary > — compare palm off 4. : bribe, tip IV. abbreviation palmistry |