handfast

Plural: handfasts

Noun

A hold, grasp; custody, power of confining or keeping.
A contract, agreement, covenant; specifically betrothal, espousal.

Verb

Verb Forms: handfasted, handfasting, handfasts

To grip or secure something firmly with the hand.
To pledge; to bind.
To betroth by joining hands, in order to allow for cohabitation before the celebration of marriage; to marry provisionally.

Adj

Fast by contract; betrothed by joining hands.
Strong; steadfast.

Examples

I tried to HANDFAST the seven tiles that spelled out my winning Words With Friends word.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English hondfast, past participle of Middle English hondfesten (“to betroth”), from Old Norse handfesta (“to strike a bargain, pledge”), itself from hönd (“hand”) + festa (“to fasten, fix, affirm”), perhaps from a Proto-Indo-European root *pHst-.

Scrabble Score: 15

handfast: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
handfast: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
handfast: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 15

handfast: valid Words With Friends Word