handwriting
hand-writ-ing · noun
Definitions
noun
- 1.
Writing done by hand with a pen or pencil, rather than typed or printed.
- 2.
A person's particular style of forming letters when writing.
- 3.
The skill or activity of writing by hand.
Phrases & expressions
- •the handwriting is on the wall — Warning signs indicate something bad is about to happen (from the biblical story of Belshazzar)
- •handwriting analysis — Graphology; the study of personality through handwriting
- •in one's own handwriting — Written personally rather than typed or dictated
Related words
Etymology
Compound of hand + writing, both from Old English origins. The term emerged in the 15th century as a way to distinguish manual script from printed text.