handle

1 verb

1 DEAL WITH STH (T)

a) to deal with a difficult situation or problem: She couldn't handle the pressures of her new job.

b) to deal with something by doing what is necessary: My secretary will handle all the details..

2 DEAL WITH SB to deal with people or behave towards them in a particular way, especially to get what you want: She's very good at handling difficult customers. | handle yourself (=control your behaviour): advice on how to handle yourself in an interview

3 HOLD (T) to pick up, touch, or feel something with your hands: When the children handle the kittens it makes the mother cat restless.

4 CONTROL WITH YOUR HANDS

a) (T) to control the movement of a vehicle, tool etc: The windsurfer handled her board with great skill.

b) handle well/badly etc to be easy or difficult to drive or control: The car handles well, even on wet roads.

5 IN CHARGE OF (T) to be in charge of: Ms Brown handles the company's accounts.

6 MACHINES/SYSTEMS (T) to have the power, equipment, or systems that are necessary to deal with a particular amount of work, number of people etc: The computers are capable of handling massive amounts of data.

7 BUY/SELL (T) to buy, sell, or deal with goods or services in business or trade: Bennet was charged with handling stolen goods.

2 noun (C)

1 the part of a door, drawer, window etc that you use for opening it

2 the part of an object that you use for holding it: a knife with an ivory handle

3 get a handle on (T) to start to understand a person, situation etc: It's difficult to get a handle on exactly how this law will affect us.

4 informal a name used by someone, especially by a user of cb radios

—see also: fly off the handle fly 1 (19)