back of your hand

Meanings

1. 1nounsingular

   The upper side of the hand, opposite the palm.

   Grammar: Usually appears with a possessive: the back of her hand.

   Patterns

   • the back of your hand

   She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

   He knocked on the door with the back of his hand.

   The nurse checked the veins on the back of my hand.

2. 2phraseidiomfigurative

   Used in the phrase 'know something like the back of your hand', meaning to know it extremely well.

   Grammar: Almost always follows know: I know this road like the back of my hand.

   Patterns

   • know something like the back of your hand

   I know this neighborhood like the back of my hand.

   She knows the software like the back of her hand.

   The guide knew the trail like the back of his hand.

Common combinations

know like the back of your hand

He knows the city like the back of his hand.

with the back of your hand

She brushed the crumbs away with the back of her hand.

tattoo on the back of your hand

He has a small tattoo on the back of his hand.

hold the back of your hand

The nurse held the back of her hand to my forehead.

slap with the back of your hand

He tapped the table with the back of his hand.

Synonyms and how they differ

inside out

Know something inside out is a close idiom, but it suggests thorough understanding rather than long familiarity.

like the palm of your hand

In some regions people say palm instead of back, but the back version is more common in English.

by heart

By heart applies to memorized information such as songs, whereas back of your hand applies to familiar places and subjects.

Opposites

Word family

backhand noun

a stroke made with the back of the hand

handback noun

an act of returning something

hand noun

the part of the arm at the wrist

Commonly confused: back of your hand or back of the hand?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “back of your hand”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words