Meanings
verbthrow the handkerchief (third-person singular simple present throws the handkerchief, present participle throwing the handkerchief, simple past threw the handkerchief, past participle thrown the handkerchief)
present singular third person throws the handkerchief · participle present throwing the handkerchief · past threw the handkerchief · participle past thrown the handkerchief
- To call upon the next person, for example when giving speeches.
Origin
From a traditional game.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
throw the handkerchief. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/throw%20the%20handkerchief
MLA
“throw the handkerchief.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/throw%20the%20handkerchief. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “throw the handkerchief,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/throw%20the%20handkerchief.
Source: throw the handkerchief on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.