Meanings
plural hamsas · alternative khamsah · alternative khamsa · alternative chamsa
- The Hand of Fatima.
Reverence for the amulets cuts across religious boundaries. Jews come for Kabbalistic bracelets, glass hamsas or strings of ceramic pomegranates.
2017 February 22, Sam Kestenbaum, “A Brooklyn Store That Specializes in the Evil Eye”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 16 Jan 20211 more example
Variously associated with qualities ranging from warding off evil to promoting fertility, the open hand of the hamsa is thought to have originated in Mesopotamia and is recognized the world over.
2020 November 25, Tanya Dukes, “Gilt-y Pleasures: Holiday Gift Ideas for the Jewelry Lover”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 25 Jun 2021
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
- Arabicخَمْسَة“five”
- Hebrewחַמְסָה
- Englishhamsa
Borrowed from Hebrew חַמְסָה (khámsa), from Arabic خَمْسَة (ḵamsa, “five”), used among Jews of Arabic origin for the fingers on the hand.
More words from Hebrew, Arabic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic خَمْسَة
- خَمْسَة (ḵamsa)Hand of Fatima — see also Hand of Fatima
Catalan hamsa
- hamsaHand of Fatima — see also Hand of Fatima
French khamsa
- khamsaHand of Fatima — see also Hand of Fatima
Hebrew חמסה
- חמסהHand of Fatima — see also Hand of Fatima
Polish chamsa
- chamsaHand of Fatima — see also Hand of Fatima
Portuguese hamsá, chamsá
- hamsáHand of Fatima — see also Hand of Fatima
- chamsáHand of Fatima — see also Hand of Fatima
Spanish jamsa
- jamsaHand of Fatima — see also Hand of Fatima
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
hamsa. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hamsa
“hamsa.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hamsa. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hamsa,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hamsa.
Source: hamsa on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.