hand-me-down
Americannoun
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an article of clothing passed on to another person after being used, outgrown, etc..
The younger children wore the hand-me-downs of the older ones.
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any item not new that is or can be used again.
Our office furniture was a collection of hand-me-downs.
adjective
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passed along for further use by others.
some hand-me-down clothes from my older brother.
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borrowed or adapted from other sources; derivative.
a street full of hand-me-down architecture.
noun
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something, esp an outgrown garment, passed down from one person to another
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( as modifier )
a hand-me-down dress
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anything that has already been used by another
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( as modifier )
hand-me-down ideas
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Etymology
Origin of hand-me-down
First recorded in 1870–75
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Conversely, when brides were familiar with the story of the dress, like with a hand-me-down, they were far more positive about it and treated it more like treasure than a cursed item."
From BBC
She hadn’t showered in two days, her hair was a frizzy mess, and she was wearing hand-me-down clothes that were five sizes too big.
From Literature
One that isn’t a hand-me-down from my weird cousin in Des Moines.
From Literature
Ma holds my gaze for a beat before glancing at the empty hand-me-down suitcase.
From Literature
The chancellor could also offer partial payments, potentially getting smaller for each additional child to reflect that these children might use the same buggy as their siblings or hand-me-down clothes.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
