Your hand is referred to as your fist when you have bent your fingers in towards the palm in order to hit someone, to make an angry gesture, or to hold something.
Angry protestors with clenched fists shouted their defiance.
Gary clutched a penny in his fist.
2.
See iron fist
3. hand over fist
fist in British English
(fɪst)
noun
1.
a hand with the fingers clenched into the palm, as for hitting
2. Also called: fistful
the quantity that can be held in a fist or hand
3. an informal word for hand, index (sense 9)
verb
4. (transitive)
to hit with the fist
Word origin
Old English fӯst; related to Old Frisian fest, Old Saxon, Old High German fūst; see five
fist in American English
(fɪst)
noun
1.
a hand with the fingers closed tightly into the palm, as for hitting; clenched hand
2. Informal
a.
a hand
b.
the grasp
3. Printing
a sign () used to direct special attention to something
verb transitive
4.
to hit with the fist
5.
to grasp or handle
Word origin
ME < OE fyst, akin to Ger faust (OHG fūst), prob. < IE *pṇksti < ? base *penkwe, five, in sense “clenched five (fingers)”
More idioms containing
fist
with an iron fist
make money hand over fist
Examples of 'fist' in a sentence
fist
The iron fist is a thing of the past.
The Sun (2017)
He knows we are making a good fist of things in the Premier League.
The Sun (2017)
He is considered within his moral rights to run at the pitcher with fists flying.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
In the circumstances he made a pretty good fist of things.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
You would have to say that they make a fairly decent fist of it.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Crack the garlic with your fist and flake away the skin.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The defendant began punching her with clenched fists to her back and head area.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Was he nervous of the big clunking fist?
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
They are losing money hand over fist.
The Sun (2010)
He pounded his fist against the palm of his open hand.
The Sun (2016)
He thumped his little fists on the table.
Aldiss, Brian Somewhere East of Life (1994)
Make a fist and hold for ten seconds.
The Sun (2008)
You have to make a fist of it and be successful and we have been.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
He made a decent fist of a firsttime shot but it trundled harmlessly past the post.
The Sun (2009)
The clenched fist behind the back said it all.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Facts are deployed with the famous clunking fist.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Nobody denied the company was losing money hand over fist.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
These are iron fists in the softest of cashmere gloves.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The sound when a gloved fist makes contact with a human jaw is quite unlike any other.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You could have hours of fun getting the nuances just right but the default modes make a good fist of it.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
It will get it moving all right - with fists flying.
The Sun (2012)
I hold a fist to my mouth to stop myself from vomiting.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
In other languages
fist
British English: fist /fɪst/ NOUN
You refer to someone's hand as their fist when they have bent their fingers towards their palm.
He shook his fist at me.
American English: fist
Arabic: قَبْضَة
Brazilian Portuguese: punho
Chinese: 拳头
Croatian: šaka
Czech: pěst
Danish: næve
Dutch: vuist
European Spanish: puño
Finnish: nyrkki
French: poing
German: Faust
Greek: γροθιά
Italian: pugno
Japanese: 握りこぶし
Korean: 주먹
Norwegian: knyttneve
Polish: pięść
European Portuguese: punho
Romanian: pumn
Russian: кулак
Latin American Spanish: puño
Swedish: näve
Thai: กำปั้น
Turkish: yumruk
Ukrainian: кулак
Vietnamese: nắm đấm
All related terms of 'fist'
fist bump
a gesture of congratulation or greeting in which two people briefly connect clenched fists together
iron fist
An iron fist policy or approach is one which deals with people and situations in a very strict and cruel way.
mailed fist
the use or threat of force, as between nations
an iron fist
a cruel and unyielding attitude or approach
hand over fist
If you say that someone is making or losing money hand over fist , you mean that they are getting or losing a lot of money very quickly.
fistfight
a fight in which people hit each other with their fists
with an iron fist
with great force and often violence
make money hand over fist
to make a lot of money very quickly
an iron fist in a velvet glove
a cruel and unyielding attitude or approach concealed by apparent gentleness