handful
handful (hand"ful) , noun
[Anglo-Saxon handfull.]
1.
As much as the hand will grasp or contain. — Addison
2.
A hand's breadth; four inches. [Obsolete]
Knap the tongs together about a handful from the bottom.
3.
A small quantity or number.
This handful of men were tied to very hard duty.
4.
A person, task, or situation, which is the most that one can manage; as, my two-year-old is a handful.
They had their handful to defend themselves from firing.
Collocations (1)
To have one's handful , to have one's hands full; to have all one can do. [Obsolete]