big hand

plural big hands

1. idiomaticchildren's vocabulary; primary school age; children's vocabulary; primary school ageSynonym of minute hand (on a clock face).

   When the big hand gets to the "9", we say that there are 15 minutes left before the next hour strikes.

   Synonyms: minute hand · Antonyms: little hand

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see big, hand: for example, a strong round of applause, a great deal of assistance, or a large body part.

   What a great job these kids have done today! Let's give them a big hand, everybody! [hearty applause]

   2 more examples

   Several people gave me a hand with getting this work done on time. In particular, Sean gave me a really big hand with the number-crunching.

   My grandfather had very big hands. They were so big that some of his classmates when he was a child even teased him about it — that is, the ones who dared! He would reply by asking whether they were looking for a slap or a punch!