upper hand
English
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upper hand
Where it comes from
From Middle English over hond, from Old English ofer- + hand (superior control; superior position). Not, as supposed, from a card game or counting-out game.
noun the upper hand · upper hands
- Advantage or control. There was no refusing him, for he had got the complete upper hand of the community, and the peaceful burghers all stood in awe of him.
- The place of honour accorded to a social superior when walking together; the right of way in walking
Translations
Every language
noun advantage
| Español | delantera |
|---|---|
| Français | prendre le dessus |
| Deutsch | Überhand, Oberhand |
| Русский | преиму́щество preimúščestvo |
| العربية | اَلْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا al-yadu l-ʕulyā |
| עברית | יָדוֹ עַל הָעֶלְיוֹנָה yadó 'al ha'elyoná |
Talk about this word "upper hand." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/upper%20hand. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. upper hand. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/upper%20hand "upper hand." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/upper%20hand.Cite this
@misc{upper_hand_2026,
title = {upper hand},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/upper%20hand},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
