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Webster 1913 Edition

Palm

Palm

,
Noun.
[AS.
palm
, L.
palma
; – so named fr. the leaf resembling a hand. See 1st
Palm
, and cf.
Pam
.]
1.
(Bot.)
Any endogenous tree of the order
Palmæ
or
Palmaceæ
; a palm tree.
☞ Palms are perennial woody plants, often of majestic size. The trunk is usually erect and rarely branched, and has a roughened exterior composed of the persistent bases of the leaf stalks. The leaves are borne in a terminal crown, and are supported on stout, sheathing, often prickly, petioles. They are usually of great size, and are either pinnately or palmately many-cleft. There are about one thousand species known, nearly all of them growing in tropical or semitropical regions. The wood, petioles, leaves, sap, and fruit of many species are invaluable in the arts and in domestic economy. Among the best known are the date palm, the cocoa palm, the fan palm, the oil palm, the wax palm, the palmyra, and the various kinds called cabbage palm and palmetto.
2.
A branch or leaf of the palm, anciently borne or worn as a symbol of victory or rejoicing.
A great multitude . . . stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and
palme
in their hands.
Rev. vii. 9.
3.
Hence:
Any symbol or token of superiority, success, or triumph; also, victory; triumph; supremacy.
“The palm of martyrdom.”
Chaucer.
So get the start of the majestic world
And bear the
palm
alone.
Shakespeare
Molucca palm
(Bot.)
,
a labiate herb from Asia (
Molucella lævis
), having a curious cup-shaped calyx.
–
Palm cabbage
,
the terminal bud of a cabbage palm, used as food.
–
Palm cat
(Zool.)
,
the common paradoxure.
–
Palm crab
(Zool.)
,
the purse crab.
–
Palm oil
,
a vegetable oil, obtained from the fruit of several species of palms, as the African oil palm (
Elæis Guineensis
), and used in the manufacture of soap and candles. See
Elæis
.
–
Palm swift
(Zool.)
,
a small swift (
Cypselus Batassiensis
) which frequents the palmyra and cocoanut palms in India. Its peculiar nest is attached to the leaf of the palmyra palm.
–
Palm toddy
.
Same as
Palm wine
.
–
Palm weevil
(Zool.)
,
any one of mumerous species of very large weevils of the genus
Rhynchophorus
. The larvæ bore into palm trees, and are called
palm borers
, and
grugru worms
. They are considered excellent food.
–
Palm wine
,
the sap of several species of palms, especially, in India, of the wild date palm (
Phœnix sylvestrix
), the palmyra, and the
Caryota urens
. When fermented it yields by distillation
arrack
, and by evaporation
jaggery
. Called also
palm toddy
.
–
Palm worm
, or
Palmworm
.
(Zool.)
(a)
The larva of a palm weevil
.
(b)
A centipede.

Palm

(päm)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Palmed
(pämd)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Palming
.]
1.
To handle.
[Obs.]
Prior.
2.
To manipulate with, or conceal in, the palm of the hand; to juggle.
They
palmed
the trick that lost the game.
Prior.
For you may
palm
upon us new for old.
Dryden.

Webster 1828 Edition

Palm

PALM

,
Noun.
p`am.. [L. palma.]
1.
The inner part of the hand.
2.
A hand or hand's breadth; a lineal measure of three inches.
3.
The broad triangular part of an anchor at the end of the arms.
4.
The name of many species of plants, but particularly of the date-tree or great palm, a native of Asia and Africa.
The palms constitute a natural order of monocotyledonous plants,with a simple cylindric stem, terminating in a crown of leaves or fronds, within which rises a tuft of flowers and fruits; all natives of warm climates. They vary in size from 2 to more than 100 feet in highth.
5.
Branches of the palm being worn in token of victory, hence the word signifies superiority, victory, triumph. The palm was adopted as an emblem of victory, it is said, because the tree is so elastic as when pressed, to rise and recover its correct position.
Namur subdued is England's palm alone.
6.
Among seamen, an instrument used in sewing canvas instead of a thimble.

PALM

,
Verb.
T.
p`am. To conceal in the palm of the hand.
They palmed the trick that lost the game.
1.
To impose by fraud.
For you may palm upon us new for old.
2.
To handle.
3.
To stroke with the hand.

Definition 2024

Palm

Palm

See also: palm

Swedish

Proper noun

Palm

  1. A surname​.

palm

palm

See also: Palm

English

A palm tree
A human hand with the palm labelled
A palm computer

Noun

palm ‎(plural palms)

  1. Any of various evergreen trees from the family Palmae or Arecaceae, which are mainly found in the tropics.
  2. A branch or leaf of the palm, anciently borne or worn as a symbol of victory or rejoicing.
    • Bible, Revelation vii. 9
      A great multitude […] stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English palme, paume, from Old French palme, paulme, paume ‎(“palm of the hand, ball, tennis”), from Latin palma ‎(“palm of the hand, hand-breadth”), from Proto-Indo-European *palam-, *plām- ‎(“palm of the hand”). Cognate with Ancient Greek παλάμη ‎(palámē, “palm of the hand”), Old English folm ‎(“palm of the hand”), Old Irish lám ‎(“hand”).

Noun

palm ‎(plural palms)

  1. The inner and somewhat concave part of the human hand that extends from the wrist to the bases of the fingers.
    • Tennyson
      Clench'd her fingers till they bit the palm.
    • 1990 October 28, Paul Simon, “Further to Fly”, The Rhythm of the Saints, Warner Bros.
      The open palm of desire wants everything.
  2. The corresponding part of the forefoot of a lower mammal.
  3. A linear measure equal either to the breadth of the hand or to its length from the wrist to the ends of the fingers; a hand; used in measuring a horse's height.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Internat. Cyc to this entry?)
  4. (sailmaking) A metallic disk attached to a strap and worn in the palm of the hand; used to push the needle through the canvas, in sewing sails, etc.
  5. The broad flattened part of an antler, as of a full-grown fallow deer; so called as resembling the palm of the hand with its protruding fingers.
  6. (nautical) The flat inner face of an anchor fluke.
Synonyms
  • (flat of the hand): loof
Antonyms
Derived terms
Translations

Verb

palm ‎(third-person singular simple present palms, present participle palming, simple past and past participle palmed)

  1. To hold or conceal something in the palm of the hand, e.g, for an act of sleight of hand or to steal something.
  2. To hold something without bending the fingers significantly.
    Did Robert palm her ?
  3. To move something with the palm of the hand.
    • 2010 December 28, Marc Vesty, “Stoke 0 - 2 Fulham”, in BBC:
      The home side's goalkeeper Asmir Begovic managed to palm the drive on to the post but the sheer pace of the shot forced the ball into the net.
Derived terms
Translations

See also

Anagrams

Dutch

Pronunciation

  • Rhymes: -ɑlm

Noun

palm m ‎(plural palmen, diminutive palmpje n)

  1. palm (tropical tree)
  2. palm (middle part of the hand)

Derived terms

Anagrams

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Swedish palmber, palma, from Old Norse palmi, from Latin palma.

Pronunciation

Noun

palm c

  1. palm; a tropical tree

Declension

Inflection of palm 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative palm palmen palmer palmerna
Genitive palms palmens palmers palmernas

Etymology

From Middle English palme, from Old English palm, palma ‎(“palm-tree, palm-branch”), from Latin palma ‎(“palm-tree, palm-branch, palm of the hand”), from Proto-Indo-European *palam-, *plām- ‎(“palm of the hand”). Cognate with Dutch palm, German Palme, Danish palme, Icelandic pálmur ‎(“palm”).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) enPR: päm, IPA(key): /pɑːm/
  • (US) enPR: päm, pälm, IPA(key): /pɑm/, /pɑlm/
  • Rhymes: -ɑːm

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