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handfast

noun

Etymology

From Middle English hondfast, past participle of Middle English hondfesten (“to betroth”), from Old Norse handfesta (“to strike a bargain, pledge”), itself from hönd (“hand”) + festa (“to fasten, fix, affirm”), perhaps from a Proto-Indo-European root *pHst-.

  1. derived from handfesta
  2. inherited from hondfesten
  3. inherited from hondfast

Definitions

  1. A hold, grasp

    A hold, grasp; custody, power of confining or keeping.

    • And the remembrancer of her to hold The hand-fast to her lord. I have given him that

  2. A contract, agreement, covenant

    A contract, agreement, covenant; specifically betrothal, espousal.

  3. To pledge

    To pledge; to bind.

  4. ›+ 3 more definitions

    1. To betroth by joining hands, in order to allow for cohabitation before the celebration of…

      To betroth by joining hands, in order to allow for cohabitation before the celebration of marriage; to marry provisionally.

      • Would the lass but consent to go abroad in the unhallowed place at this awful season and hour of the night, she was as firmly handfasted to the Devil as if she had signed a bond with her own blood; […]

    2. Fast by contract

      Fast by contract; betrothed by joining hands.

      • A vyrgine made handfast to Christ.

    3. Strong

      Strong; steadfast.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for handfast. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA