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.
Hand"-hole` (-hl`), n. (Steam Boilers) A small hole in a boiler for the
insertion of the hand in cleaning, etc.
Hand-hole plate, the cover of a hand- hole.
Hand"i*cap (hn"d*kp), n. [From hand in cap; -- perh. in reference to an
old mode of settling a bargain by taking pieces of money from a cap.]
1. An allowance of a certain amount of time or distance in starting,
granted in a race to the competitor possessing inferior advantages; or
an additional weight or other hindrance imposed upon the one possessing
superior advantages, in order to equalize, as much as possible, the
chances of success; as, the handicap was five seconds, or ten pounds,
and the like.
2. A race, for horses or men, or any contest of agility, strength, or
skill, in which there is an allowance of time, distance, weight, or
other advantage, to equalize the chances of the competitors.