Overhands

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. Describes actions involving placing one’s hand over something else or throwing a ball or object using a motion above the shoulder; refers to grips made by the upper hand on objects; also identifies techniques in sports or tasks requiring an overhand approach
2. Pertains to movements where the hand moves from above to engage with objects or perform tasks; includes types of holds where the upper hand is dominant; can mean methods of propelling items using a hand raised higher than the shoulder level
3. Relates to the use of the hand from an elevated position to grasp or manipulate items; denotes grasping styles where the hand is placed on top; signifies throwing or handling motions characterized by the hand crossing above the shoulder height

Etymology: "Overhands" is the third-person singular present form of "overhand," which describes a way of throwing or working with the arm raised above the shoulder, with the palm facing down. The adjective and adverb "overhand" is built from two plain English parts: "over," from Old English "ofer," meaning above or across, and "hand," from Old English "hand." Put together, they describe a hand held or moving above the level of the body. The "over" element has an ancient pedigree, tracing back through Proto-Germanic to the Proto-Indo-European root for "up," so the core idea of height has been present in the word's ancestry for a very long time. "Hand," likewise, descends from a Germanic word that has stayed remarkably stable across the centuries, changing from Old English "hand" to Middle English "hond" before settling into its modern spelling.

Synonyms: throws overhand, passes overhand

Antonyms: underhands