: any of a family (Palmae synonym 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
: 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 (such as a part of a glove) that covers the palm of the hand
Noun (1)
the judges' decision was unanimous: the palm would go to the pianist who had played an early piece by Chopin Verb
The store's owner had seen one of the girls palm a lipstick before heading for the door.
To do the card trick, you have to learn to palm one of the cards.
He was called for palming the ball.
The kick was palmed away by the goalkeeper.
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Noun
On my recent visit, Ko’s menu featured Molokai purple sweet potatoes, sea asparagus, hearts of palm — even upcountry blueberries.—Ben Davidson, Mercury News, 1 May 2025 Towering Madagascar palms and colorful blooms line the path to the entrance, while sculptural clusters of Blue Glow Agave and Barrel Cactus create striking focal points nearby.—Ashlee Marie Preston, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Verb
Onana allowed Thiago Almada’s 25th-minute free-kick to go straight in while Rayan Cherki’s equaliser deep into stoppage time at the end of the game came after the goalkeeper palmed Corentin Tolisso’s effort back into his path.—David Ornstein, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025 Slicing this way makes the lemons easier to palm.—Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 27 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for palm
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
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
Noun (2)
Middle English paume, palme, from Anglo-French, from Latin palma
First Known Use
Noun (1)
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
: any of a family of mostly tropical or subtropical woody trees, shrubs, or vines usually with a simple but often tall stem topped by a crown of very large feathery or fan-shaped leaves
2
a
: a palm leaf especially when carried as a symbol of victory or rejoicing
: 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
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