big hand

English

The big hand is the longer and faster of the two hands seen here.

Noun

big hand (plural big hands)

2. (idiomatic, children's vocabulary, primary school age) Synonym of minute hand (on a clock face).

   Antonym: little hand

   When the big hand gets to the "9", we say that there are 15 minutes left before the next hour strikes.

4. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see big,‎ hand: for example, a strong round of applause, a great deal of assistance, or a large body part.

   What a great job these kids have done today! Let's give them a big hand, everybody! [hearty applause]

   Several people gave me a hand with getting this work done on time. In particular, Sean gave me a really big hand with the number-crunching.

   My grandfather had very big hands. They were so big that some of his classmates when he was a child even teased him about it — that is, the ones who dared! He would reply by asking whether they were looking for a slap or a punch!