1.
palm of the hand
The flat inner surface of the hand. A literary and elegant word for the same body part that is called 手のひら in everyday speech. Carries a poetic, classical tone and appears in literature, idioms, and figurative expressions.
An old Japanese word derived from 手の心 ('the heart of the hand'). Elegant and literary in register, it is used mainly in set phrases, idioms, and poetic contexts rather than in everyday description of body parts. The kanji 掌 can also be read as しょう in Sino-Japanese compounds like 掌握 ('grasping; control').
Usage
- The everyday word for 'palm' is 手のひら — use 掌 when a literary or formal tone is desired.
- Appears frequently in the idiom 掌を返す ('to flip one's palm'), meaning to suddenly reverse one's attitude or loyalty.
- The expression 掌の上で転がす ('to roll on one's palm') means to manipulate someone or something with complete control.
Common collocations
- 掌を返す: to completely reverse one's position
- 掌を合わせる: to press palms together (in prayer)
- 掌の上: in the palm of one's hand (figurative: under one's control)
- 掌に汗を握る: to grip sweat in one's palms (with tense excitement)