Handplay

noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Hand-to-hand combat. uncountable, usually
  2. 2
    In the game of skat, the playing of one's hand without using the skat. uncountable, usually

Etymology

Combat sense: perhaps from Middle English *handpleie, from Old English handplega (“fighting”), equivalent to hand + play. Compare swordplay.

Related phrases

hand to hand

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.