Basic+ Word of the Day: fist

fist (noun)

A fist is a hand closed tightly with the fingers doubled into the palm.

• Make a fist and punch the bully in the nose.
• At the protest march, everyone raised their fists.
• The angry driver shook his fist at the pedestrian.

Common uses

fistful: the amount of something you can hold in your fist. Example: “Grab a fistful of candy and give some to your little sister.”

Did you know?

When two people tap their fists together, it’s called a fist bump. Watch this video to learn about different variations of the fist bump.

In pop culture

Figuratively, if you rule with an iron fist, it means that you are very strict. But literally, it would hurt a lot if someone who had an iron fist hit you. Marvel’s hero, Iron Fist, embodies both the figurative and literal meanings of the expression. Watch the trailer for the series, Marvel’s Iron Fist:

There are other meanings of fist.