fist
part of speech
noun (a fist, fists)
meaning for a pupil
A hand with the fingers bent tightly into the palm. tree →
sense in the lessons
Interpretation: The Torah's law of damages applies even to blows from a fist, teaching that harming a person must be paid for. The prophets and Proverbs use the fist in pictures: "gathering the wind in his fists" shows God's great power, and "the fist of wickedness" is a cruel blow by people who fast but still act unjustly. Tradition reads Isaiah as saying that fasting means nothing without kindness and justice. In the primary lessons: In everyday life, people make a fist when they are angry, determined or ready to punch, but also to "fist-bump" friends. In safety and feelings lessons, we learn to use words, not fists, to sort out problems. In maths, a fist can be used to count months of the year on the knuckles. Phrases: clench your fist, a fist bump, bang your fist, tight-fisted, hand over fist.
examples
- And if men contend, and one smite the other with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keep his bed; (Torah EXO.21.18, JPS 1917) tree →
- Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? (Writings PRO.30.4, JPS 1917) tree →
- Behold, ye fast for strife and contention, and to smite with the fist of wickedness; ye fast not this day so as to make your voice to be heard on high. (Prophets ISA.58.4, JPS 1917) tree →
- He clenched his fist in anger. tree →
- We gave each other a fist bump. tree →
- She banged her fist on the table. tree →
- Use your words, not your fists. tree →
- Count the months on the knuckles of your fist. tree →
- The baby held my finger in her tiny fist. tree →
- And he beat his fists angrily against a tree. tree →
note
Countable: a fist, fists. "Tight-fisted" means mean with money. "Make money hand over fist" means make a lot quickly. Don't confuse "fist" with "first".
In the corpora
- Who hath gathered the wind in his fists?
- Gorillas and chimps walk on all fours leaning on their knuckles, while orangutans walk on their fists or the sides of their hands.
- Imagine one piece of a snake's backbone bigger than your fist.
- The Rat dances in the road shaking his fists at the vanished car: «You villains! ... you roadhogs!
- A red face, clenched fists or a tight jaw and a loud voice are signs of anger.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «fist» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.