What does "palm" mean?
Any of various evergreen trees from the family Palmae or Arecaceae, which are mainly found in the tropics.
Palm
/pɑːm/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Any of various evergreen trees from the family Palmae or Arecaceae, which are mainly found in the tropics.
- Grammar: palm is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: palm tree, abstract, acme, acquire.
- Useful contrasts: back of the hand, display, dorsal surface.
- Usage evidence: That politician won't meet you unless you grease his palm.
How to use "palm"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "palm" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "palm" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "palm" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "palm" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "palm" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "palm tree" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "palm", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any of various evergreen trees from the family Palmae or Arecaceae, which are mainly found in the tropics.
- 2 The inner and somewhat concave part of the human hand or other primate hand that extends from the wrist to the bases of the fingers.
"[She] flung herself / Down on the great King's couch, and writhed upon it, / And clench'd her fingers till they bit the palm, / And shriek'd out 'traitor' to the unhearing wall, […]"
- 3 Alternative letter-case form of palm. alt-of
- 4 the inner surface of the hand from the wrist to the base of the fingers wordnet
- 5 A branch or leaf of the palm, anciently borne or worn as a symbol of victory or rejoicing.
"A great multitude […] stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palmes in their hands."
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 The corresponding part of the forefoot of a nonprimate mammal.
- 7 an award for winning a championship or commemorating some other event wordnet
- 8 Triumph; victory. broadly, figuratively
- 9 Synonym of hand, any of various units of length notionally derived from the breadth of the palm, formalized in England as 4 inches and now chiefly used for the height of horses historical
"He found it to be ninety-five fathoms wide, and five palms deep at a place of average depth"
- 10 any plant of the family Palmae having an unbranched trunk crowned by large pinnate or palmate leaves wordnet
- 11 Any of 23 awards that can be earned after obtaining the Eagle Scout rank, but generally only before turning 18 years old.
- 12 Any of various units of length notionally derived from the length of the palm from the wrist to the base of the fingers. historical
- 13 a linear unit based on the length or width of the human hand wordnet
- 14 A metallic disk attached to a strap and worn in the palm of the hand; used to push the needle through the canvas, in sewing sails, etc.
- 15 The broad flattened part of an antler, as of a full-grown fallow deer; so called as resembling the palm of the hand with its protruding fingers.
"They watched until the younger bull received a second cut, this one on his flank from a point on the brow palm that would have impaled him if he hadn't jumped out of the way."
- 16 The flat inner face of an anchor fluke.
Verb
- 1 To hold or conceal something in the palm of the hand, e.g., for an act of sleight of hand or to steal something.
- 2 touch, lift, or hold with the hands wordnet
- 3 To hold something without bending the fingers significantly.
"John palmed the ball."
- 4 To move something with the palm of the hand.
"The home side's goalkeeper Asmir Begovic managed to palm the drive on to the post but the sheer pace of the shot forced the ball into the net."
- 5 To use one's palm as identification to get through a door or security checkpoint. intransitive, transitive
"I palmed in to work."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 To bribe. UK, obsolete, slang, transitive
"He never again appeared in the house where practices of this description are carried on every night, and where officers of the police are palmed (bribed) for their forbearance."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname mainly of Scandinavian origin.
Example
"That politician won't meet you unless you grease his palm."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "palm"?
Common synonyms include: palm tree, abstract, acme, acquire, and, annex.
How do you use "palm" in a sentence?
That politician won't meet you unless you grease his palm.
How do you pronounce "palm"?
Pronounced /pɑːm/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English palme, from Old English palm, palma (“palm-tree, palm-branch”), from Latin palma (“palm-tree, palm-branch, palm of the hand”), from Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₂meh₂, *pl̥h₂emeh₂ (“palm of the hand”), from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂- (“flat”). Cognate with Dutch palm, German Palme, Danish palme, Icelandic pálmur (“palm”).
Etymology 2
From Middle English palme, paume, from Old French palme, paulme, paume (“palm of the hand, ball, tennis”), from Latin palma (“palm of the hand, hand-breadth”), from Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₂(e)meh₂ (“palm of the hand”), from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂- (“flat”). Doublet of palmo, palma, and pam. Cognate with Ancient Greek παλάμη (palámē, “palm of the hand”), Old English folm (“palm of the hand”), Old Irish lám (“hand”).
Etymology 3
From Middle High German palme, balme, related to palm (“palm tree”).
Etymology 4
See palm.