Home US English hand-habend

Definition of hand-habend in English:

hand-habend

(also hand-having)

Pronunciation /ˈhandhabənd/

adjective

historical Law

  • Chiefly in predicative use. Of a thief: having stolen goods in the hand; that is in the very act of stealing; ‘red-handed’. Also (in attributive use) of a theft: discovered while the thief was in the act of stealing.

Origin

Middle English. From hand + having, probably after Old English aet haebbendre handa.