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Synonyms

show of hands

American  

noun

  1. an indication of approval, disapproval, volunteering, etc., on the part of a group of people, usually made by each assenting person raising a hand.

show of hands British  

noun

  1. the raising of hands to indicate voting for or against a proposition

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
show of hands Idioms  

  1. An informal vote made by participants holding up one hand each to indicate a choice, as in Let's have a show of hands—how many want the next meeting on a Sunday? [Late 1700s]

Etymology

Origin of show of hands

First recorded in 1740–50

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.

Vossler Smith said that during a kickoff event for the nearly 500 volunteers who help with Modernism Week, she asked for a show of hands from “our Canadian friends.”

From Los Angeles Times

By a show of hands, Labour conference delegates rejected the first motion in favour of the second.

From BBC

Asked for a show of hands, about two-thirds of members in the hall at their conference in Bournemouth backed a debate on changing their position on ID cards.

From BBC

He asked for a show of hands: “Who’s here for the first time?”

From Los Angeles Times

Dutton described the show of hands as a "very confronting scene" while Albanese said he has brought inflation down, wages up and added that interest rates were starting to fall, according to ABC.

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.