single-hand

verb

To sail a boat unassisted, without any crew beyond oneself.

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Meanings

verbsingle-hand (third-person singular simple present single-hands, present participle single-handing, simple past and past participle single-handed)

present singular third person single-hands · participle present single-handing · participle past single-handed · past single-handed · alternative singlehand

  1. To sail a boat unassisted, without any crew beyond oneself.

    I think a lot more sailors would try singlehanding if they weren't troubled by the increasing big-ship traffic.

    1980, Yachting, volume 147, number 6, page 46
    1 more example

    So whether you are looking for a performance cruiser for Puget Sound, the perfect boat to single hand in this year's Pacific Cup or a great yacht to take the family on a circumnavigation, Marinero warrants more than a quick look.

    2007, Cruising World, volume 33, number 4, page 155

Origin

Back-formation from single-handed.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

single-hand. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/single-hand

MLA

“single-hand.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/single-hand. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “single-hand,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/single-hand.

Source: single-hand on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.