HAND-ME-DOWN • DICTIONARY ONE.COM • Definition of Hand-me-down

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/hænd-mi-daʊn/ Listen

noun

hand-me-down n. An outgrown garment given to one person after use by another; usually transferred between members of a family or close friends; as, because she was the youngest of four girls, the clothes she wore were always hand-me-downs.

adjective

hand-me-down adj.

Obtained or used after prior use by another person. Note: the term hand-me-down is often used of clothing previously worn by older family members. The term may also be used metaphorically of ideas.

Synonyms: hand-down, secondhand, used.

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Etymology of 'Hand-me-down'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Hand-me-down" Quotes from Famous Books

... colourless, middle-aged man, attired in worn hand-me-down garments. His blue eyes, clear and direct enough, seemed to hold a little of the pathetic apprehension and appeal of a lost puppy. He hesitated when he spoke, repeatedly qualifying his statements. His was the awkwardness of the man who, having spent his life in familiar surroundings ...

— Desert Conquest - or, Precious Waters • A. M. Chisholm