palm

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English, from Latin palma palm of the hand, palm tree; from the resemblance of the tree's leaves to the outstretched hand; akin to Greek palamē palm of the hand, Old English folm, Old Irish lám hand Date: before 12th century 1. any of a family (Palmae syn. Arecaceae) of mostly tropical or subtropical monocotyledonous trees, shrubs, or vines with usually a simple stem and a terminal crown of large pinnate or fan-shaped leaves 2. a leaf of the palm as a symbol of victory or rejoicing; also a branch (as of laurel) similarly used 3. a symbol of triumph or superiority; also victory, triumph 4. an addition to a military decoration in the form of a palm frond especially to indicate a second award of the basic decoration • palmlike adjective II. noun Etymology: Middle English paume, palme, from Anglo-French, from Latin palma Date: 14th century 1. the somewhat concave part of the human hand between the bases of the fingers and the wrist or the corresponding part of the forefoot of a lower mammal 2. a flat expanded part especially at the end of a base or stalk (as of an anchor) 3. [Latin palmus, from palma] a unit of length based on the breadth or length of the hand 4. something (as a part of a glove) that covers the palm of the hand 5. an act of palming (as of cards) III. transitive verb Date: 1673 1. a. to conceal in or with the hand <

palm a card

> b. to take or pick up stealthily c. to hand stealthily <

palmed him a dollar bill

> 2. to impose by fraud <

a second imposter to be palmed upon you — Sir Walter Scott

> 3. to touch with the palm: as a. to stroke with the palm or hand b. to allow (a basketball) to come to rest momentarily in the hand while dribbling thus committing a violation