Handling

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈhændl̩ɪŋ/

Definitions

1. The act of managing or dealing with tasks, problems, or items ; the manner in which something is controlled, operated, or managed ; the physical control or maneuvering of a vehicle or object during use
2. Dealing efficiently with situations or material ; the style or quality of operation or control ; the skillful direction or manipulation of a vehicle or tool
3. The process of managing or supervising something ; the characteristic way something is controlled ; the effective steering or guidance of a vehicle or device

Etymology: The noun "handling" is one of those words where the physical and the abstract grew up side by side. Its Old English ancestor, "handlung," meant an action or deed, a thing done with the hands, and it carried that sense of concrete doing into the centuries that followed. The modern senses of managing a task or steering a vehicle are simply the same act of handling stretched to cover more situations. The word is built from the verb "handle," itself from Old English "handlian," with the suffix "-ing" added to form a noun of action. Its relatives on the Continent tell the same story: Dutch "handeling," German "Handlung," and Swedish "handling" all mean an act or action, and in Dutch the word can also mean a trade or operation. Across these languages, the idea of handling has always been close to the idea of acting.

Synonyms: management, control, operation, treatment, manipulation

Antonyms: neglect, abandonment, mismanagement, disregard, disorder