Hand vs. Arm: What's the Difference?
Edited by Aimie Carlson || By Janet White || Updated on October 11, 2023
The hand is the extremity of the arm, encompassing the fingers and palm; the arm extends from the shoulder to the wrist.
Key Differences
The hand and arm are integral parts of the human anatomy but serve distinct functions. The hand, consisting of the palm and fingers, is adept at grasping, holding, and manipulating objects. It possesses a level of dexterity that allows for intricate tasks like writing or sewing.
In contrast, the arm, which spans from the shoulder to the wrist, provides support and movement for the hand. The arm contains major muscles that facilitate lifting, reaching, and various motions, ensuring the hand can interact with its environment effectively.
Structurally, while the hand boasts complex joints and numerous bones, the arm is simpler, comprising the upper arm (humerus) and the forearm (radius and ulna).
Overall, while the hand is more about finesse and precision, the arm provides strength and range of motion.
Comparison Chart
Function
Grasping, holding
Support, movement
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Anatomy
Fingers, palm
Humerus, radius, ulna
Dexterity
High
Low
Primary Use
Manipulation
Lifting, reaching
Bones
Numerous (e.g., metacarpals, phalanges)
Fewer (humerus, radius, ulna)
Hand and Arm Definitions
Hand
Used for grasping or holding objects.
He held the book firmly in his hand.
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Arm
The limb extending from shoulder to wrist.
He has a tattoo on his arm.
Hand
A means to interact with the environment.
She felt the fabric's texture with her hand.
Arm
Used for lifting, reaching, and carrying.
She stretched her arm to reach the top shelf.
Hand
The terminal part of the human arm located below the forearm, used for grasping and holding and consisting of the wrist, palm, four fingers, and an opposable thumb.
Arm
Contains muscles facilitating movement.
His arm muscles were defined from weightlifting.
Hand
A homologous or similar part in other animals, as the terminal part of the forelimb in certain vertebrates.
Arm
Supports and moves the hand.
She rested her arm on the table.
Hand
A unit of length equal to 4 inches (10.2 centimeters), used especially to specify the height of a horse.
Arm
Comprises the humerus, radius, and ulna.
He broke the radius in his arm while playing soccer.
Hand
Any of the rotating pointers used as indexes on the face of a mechanical clock.
Arm
An upper limb of the human body, connecting the hand and wrist to the shoulder.
Hand
A pointer, as on a gauge or dial.
Arm
A part similar to a human arm, such as the forelimb of an animal or a long part projecting from a central support in a machine.
Hand
(Printing)See index.
Arm
Something, such as a sleeve on a garment or a support on a chair, that is designed to cover or support the human arm.
Hand
Lateral direction indicated according to the way in which one is facing
At my right hand.
Arm
A relatively narrow extension jutting out from a large mass:an arm of the sea.
Hand
A style or individual sample of writing.
Arm
An administrative or functional branch, as of an organization.
Hand
A signature
Put my hand to the contract.
Arm
Power or authority:the long arm of the law.
Hand
A round of applause to signify approval.
Arm
(Sports)The skill of throwing or pitching a ball well.
Hand
Physical assistance; help
Gave me a hand with the bags.
Arm
A weapon, especially a firearm
Troops bearing arms.
ICBMs, bombs, and other nuclear arms.
Hand
Hands Sports A hand ball in soccer.
Arm
A branch of a military force
Infantry, armor, and other combat arms.
Hand
The cards held in a card game by a given player at any time.
Arm
Warfare
A call to arms against the invaders.
Hand
The number of cards dealt each player; the deal.
Arm
Military service
Several million volunteers under arms.
The profession of arms.
Hand
A player or participant in a card game
We need a fourth hand for bridge.
Arm
(Heraldry) Bearings.
Hand
A portion or section of a game during which all the cards dealt out are played
A hand of poker.
Arm
Insignia, as of a state, an official, a family, or an organization.
Hand
One who performs manual labor
A factory hand.
Arm
To supply or equip oneself with weaponry.
Hand
One who is part of a group or crew
The ship's hands.
Arm
To prepare oneself for warfare or conflict.
Hand
A participant in an activity, often one who specializes in a particular activity or pursuit
An old hand at labor negotiations.
Arm
To equip with weapons
Armed themselves with loaded pistols.
Arm a missile with a warhead.
Arm a nation for war.
Hand
The degree of immediacy of a source of information; degree of reliability
Heard the scandalous tale at third hand.
Arm
To equip with what is needed for effective action
Tax advisers who were armed with the latest forms.
Hand
The strength or force of one's position
Negotiated from a strong hand.
Arm
To provide with something that strengthens or protects
A space reentry vehicle that was armed with a ceramic shield.
Hand
Often hands Possession, ownership, or keeping
The books should be in your hands by noon.
Arm
To prepare (a weapon or electronic system, such as an alarm) for use or operation, as by releasing a safety device.
Hand
Power; jurisdiction; care
The defendant's fate is in the hands of the jury. Dinner is in the chef's hands.
Arm
The portion of the upper human appendage, from the shoulder to the wrist and sometimes including the hand.
She stood with her right arm extended and her palm forward to indicate “Stop!”
Hand
Involvement or participation
"In all this was evident the hand of the counterrevolutionaries" (John Reed).
Arm
(anatomy) The extended portion of the upper limb, from the shoulder to the elbow.
The arm and forearm are parts of the upper limb in the human body.
Hand
An influence or effect
The manager had a hand in all major decisions.
Arm
A limb, or locomotive or prehensile organ, of an invertebrate animal.
The arms of an octopus
Hand
Evidence of craft or artistic skill
Can see the hand of a genius even in the lighter poems.
Arm
The part of a piece of clothing that covers the arm.
Hand
An aptitude or ability
I tried my hand at decorating.
Arm
A long, narrow, more or less rigid part of an object extending from the main part or centre of the object, such as the arm of an armchair, a crane, a pair of spectacles or a pair of compasses.
The robot arm reached out and placed the part on the assembly line.
Hand
The aesthetic feel or tactile quality of something, such as a fabric, textile, or carpeting, that indicates its fineness, texture, and durability.
Arm
(geography) A bay or inlet off a main body of water.
Shelburne Bay is an arm of Lake Champlain.
Hand
A manner or way of performing something
A light hand with makeup.
Arm
A branch of an organization.
The cavalry arm of the military service
Hand
Permission or a promise, especially a pledge to wed.
Arm
(figurative) Power; might; strength; support.
The arm of the law
The secular arm
Hand
A commitment or agreement, especially when sealed by a handshake; one's word
You have my hand on that.
Arm
A pitcher
The team needs to sign another arm in the offseason.
Hand
To give or pass with or as if with the hands; transmit
Hand me your keys.
Arm
(genetics) One of the two parts of a chromosome.
Hand
To aid, direct, or conduct with the hands
The usher handed the patron to a reserved seat.
Arm
A group of patients in a medical trial.
Hand
(Nautical)To roll up and secure (a sail); furl.
Arm
(usually used in the plural) A weapon.
Hand
To give (the ball) directly to a teammate, as in football. Often used with off.
Arm
(in the plural) heraldic bearings or insignia.
The Duke's arms were a sable gryphon rampant on an argent field.
Hand
To carry, strike, or propel (the ball) with the hand or arm in violation of the rules in soccer.
Arm
; hostilities; deeds or exploits of war.
Hand
To make a handoff, as in football. Often used with off.
Arm
To take by the arm; to take up in one's arms.
Hand
The part of the forelimb below the forearm or wrist in a human, and the corresponding part in many other animals.
Her hands are really strong.
Arm
(transitive) To supply with armour or (later especially) weapons.
The king armed his knights with swords and shields.
Hand
That which resembles, or to some extent performs the office of, a human hand.
Arm
To supply with the equipment, knowledge, authority, or other tools needed for a particular task; to furnish with capability; to equip.
Hand
A limb of certain animals, such as the foot of a hawk, or any one of the four extremities of a monkey.
Arm
(transitive) To prepare (a tool, weapon, or system) for action; to activate.
Remember to arm the alarm system before leaving for work.
Hand
An index or pointer on a dial; such as the hour and minute hands on the face of an analog clock, which are used to indicate the time of day.
Arm
To become prepared for action; to activate.
Hand
That which is, or may be, held in a hand at once.
Arm
(transitive) To cover or furnish with a plate, or with whatever will add strength, force, security, or efficiency.
To arm the hit of a sword; to arm a hook in angling
Hand
(card games) The set of cards held by a player.
Arm
(intransitive) To take up weapons; to arm oneself.
Hand
(tobacco manufacturing) A bundle of tobacco leaves tied together.
Arm
(transitive) To fit (a magnet) with an armature.
Hand
(collective) A bunch of bananas.
Arm
; lacking in riches or wealth.
Hand
That which has the appearance of, a human hand.
Arm
To be pitied; pitiful; wretched.
Hand
A bunch of bananas, a typical retail amount, where individual fruits are fingers.
Arm
The limb of the human body which extends from the shoulder to the hand; also, the corresponding limb of a monkey.
Hand
In linear measurement:
Arm
Anything resembling an arm
Hand
Four inches, a hand's breadth.
Arm
Fig.: Power; might; strength; support; as, the secular arm; the arm of the law.
To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
Hand
(obsolete) Three inches.
Arm
A branch of the military service; as, the cavalry arm was made efficient.
Hand
A side; part, camp; direction, either right or left.
Arm
To take by the arm; to take up in one's arms.
And make him with our pikes and partisansA grave: come, arm him.
Arm your prize;I know you will not lose him.
Hand
Power of performance; means of execution; ability; skill; dexterity.
Arm
To furnish with arms or limbs.
His shoulders broad and strong,Armed long and round.
Hand
(especially in compounds) An agent; a servant, or manual laborer; a workman, trained or competent for special service or duty.
Large farms need many farm hands.
Arm
To furnish or equip with weapons of offense or defense; as, to arm soldiers; to arm the country.
Abram . . . armed his trained servants.
Hand
A performer more or less skilful.
An old hand at public speaking
Arm
To cover or furnish with a plate, or with whatever will add strength, force, security, or efficiency; as, to arm the hit of a sword; to arm a hook in angling.
Hand
An instance of helping.
Bob gave Alice a hand to move the furniture.
Arm
Fig.: To furnish with means of defense; to prepare for resistance; to fortify, in a moral sense.
Arm yourselves . . . with the same mind.
Hand
Handwriting; style of penmanship.
A good hand
Arm
To provide one's self with arms, weapons, or means of attack or resistance; to take arms.
Hand
A person's autograph or signature.
Given under my Hand and Seal of the State this 1st Day of January, 2010.
Arm
A human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
Hand
Promise, word.
Arm
Any instrument or instrumentality used in fighting or hunting;
He was licensed to carry a weapon
Hand
Personal possession; ownership.
Arm
An administrative division of some larger or more complex organization;
A branch of Congress
Hand
Management, domain, control.
In safe hands;
In good hands;
He lost his job when the factory changed hands.
With the business back in the founder's hands, there is new hope for the company.
With John in charge of the project, it's in good hands.
Arm
Any projection that is thought to resemble an arm;
The arm of the record player
An arm of the sea
A branch of the sewer
Hand
Applause.
Give him a hand.
Arm
The part of an armchair or sofa that supports the elbow and forearm of a seated person
Hand
(historical) A Native American gambling game, involving guessing the whereabouts of bits of ivory or similar, which are passed rapidly from hand to hand.
Arm
The part of a garment that is attached at armhole and provides a cloth covering for the arm
Hand
(firearms) The small part of a gunstock near the lock, which is grasped by the hand in taking aim.
Arm
Prepare oneself for a military confrontation;
The U.S. is girding for a conflict in the Middle East
Troops are building up on the Iraqui border
Hand
A whole rhizome of ginger.
Arm
Supply with arms;
The U.S. armed the freedom fighters in Afghanistan
Hand
The feel of a fabric; the impression or quality of the fabric as judged qualitatively by the sense of touch.
This fabric has a smooth, soft hand.
Hand
(archaic) Actual performance; deed; act; workmanship; agency; hence, manner of performance.
Hand
(archaic) Agency in transmission from one person to another.
To buy at first hand (from the producer, or when new);
To buy at second hand (when no longer in the producer’s hand, or when not new);
It's not a rumor. I heard it at first hand.
Hand
(obsolete) Rate; price.
Hand
(transitive) To give, pass or transmit with the hand, literally or figuratively.
He handed them the letter.
She handed responsibility over to her deputy.
Hand
(transitive) To lead, guide, or assist with the hand; to conduct.
To hand a lady into a carriage
Hand
To manage.
Hand
To seize; to lay hands on.
Hand
To pledge by the hand; to handfast.
Hand
To furl.
Hand
To cooperate.
Hand
That part of the fore limb below the forearm or wrist in man and monkeys, and the corresponding part in many other animals; manus; paw. See Manus.
Hand
That which resembles, or to some extent performs the office of, a human hand
Hand
A measure equal to a hand's breadth, - four inches; a palm. Chiefly used in measuring the height of horses.
Hand
Side; part; direction, either right or left.
On this hand and that hand, were hangings.
The Protestants were then on the winning hand.
Hand
Power of performance; means of execution; ability; skill; dexterity.
He had a great mind to try his hand at a Spectator.
Hand
Actual performance; deed; act; workmanship; agency; hence, manner of performance.
To change the hand in carrying on the war.
Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by my hand.
Hand
An agent; a servant, or laborer; a workman, trained or competent for special service or duty; a performer more or less skillful; as, a deck hand; a farm hand; an old hand at speaking.
A dictionary containing a natural history requires too many hands, as well as too much time, ever to be hoped for.
I was always reckoned a lively hand at a simile.
Hand
Handwriting; style of penmanship; as, a good, bad, or running hand. Hence, a signature.
I say she never did invent this letter;This is a man's invention and his hand.
Some writs require a judge's hand.
Hand
Personal possession; ownership; hence, control; direction; management; - usually in the plural.
Albinus . . . found means to keep in his hands the government of Britain.
Hand
Agency in transmission from one person to another; as, to buy at first hand, that is, from the producer, or when new; at second hand, that is, when no longer in the producer's hand, or when not new.
Hand
Rate; price.
Hand
That which is, or may be, held in a hand at once
Hand
The small part of a gunstock near the lock, which is grasped by the hand in taking aim.
Hand
A gambling game played by American Indians, consisting of guessing the whereabouts of bits of ivory or the like, which are passed rapidly from hand to hand.
Hand
To give, pass, or transmit with the hand; as, he handed them the letter.
Hand
To lead, guide, or assist with the hand; to conduct; as, to hand a lady into a carriage.
Hand
To manage; as, I hand my oar.
Hand
To seize; to lay hands on.
Hand
To pledge by the hand; to handfast.
Hand
To furl; - said of a sail.
Hand
To coöperate.
Hand
The (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb;
He had the hands of a surgeon
He extended his mitt
Hand
A hired laborer on a farm or ranch;
The hired hand fixed the railing
A ranch hand
Hand
Something written by hand;
She recognized his handwriting
His hand was illegible
Hand
Ability;
He wanted to try his hand at singing
Hand
A position given by its location to the side of an object;
Objections were voiced on every hand
Hand
The cards held in a card game by a given player at any given time;
I didn't hold a good hand all evening
He kept trying to see my hand
Hand
One of two sides of an issue;
On the one hand..., but on the other hand...
Hand
A rotating pointer on the face of a timepiece;
The big hand counts the minutes
Hand
A unit of length equal to 4 inches; used in measuring horses;
The horse stood 20 hands
Hand
A member of the crew of a ship;
All hands on deck
Hand
A card player in a game of bridge;
We need a 4th hand for bridge
Hand
A round of applause to signify approval;
Give the little lady a great big hand
Hand
Terminal part of the forelimb in certain vertebrates (e.g. apes or kangaroos);
The kangaroo's forearms seem undeveloped but the powerful five-fingered hands are skilled at feinting and clouting
Hand
Physical assistance;
Give me a hand with the chores
Hand
Place into the hands or custody of;
Hand me the spoon, please
Turn the files over to me, please
He turned over the prisoner to his lawyers
Hand
Guide or conduct or usher somewhere;
Hand the elderly lady into the taxi
Hand
The extremity of the arm with fingers and palm.
She raised her hand to ask a question.
Hand
Represents human dexterity and skill.
Her hand was steady as she painted.
Hand
Has complex joints allowing varied movements.
He can bend his hand in impressive ways.
FAQs
Which has more bones, hand or arm?
The hand has more bones, including the metacarpals and phalanges.
Why is the arm important for the hand?
The arm provides support, strength, and movement for the hand.
What is the primary function of the hand?
The hand is used for grasping, holding, and manipulating objects.
How many fingers does a typical human hand have?
A typical human hand has four fingers and a thumb.
What provides the hand's dexterity?
The hand's complex joints and finger arrangement allow for high dexterity.
What are some common injuries to the arm?
Fractures, sprains, and muscle strains are common arm injuries.
Can "arm" refer to weaponry?
Yes, "arm" can mean a weapon, as in "to take up arms."
How do arm muscles aid the hand?
Arm muscles provide the strength and range of motion for hand tasks.
What's a common ailment for hand joints?
Arthritis often affects hand joints, causing pain and stiffness.
What role does the arm play in lifting?
The arm's muscles enable lifting, carrying, and reaching objects.
How does the arm differ from the hand?
The arm spans from the shoulder to the wrist, while the hand consists of the fingers and palm.
Is hand-eye coordination related to the hand and arm?
Yes, it involves coordinated hand and arm movements based on visual input.
Which is more complex in structure, hand or arm?
The hand is more complex due to its many bones and joints.
Can "hand" also refer to manual labor?
Yes, "hand" can refer to manual work, as in "a farmhand."
Do arm exercises strengthen the hand as well?
Indirectly, as stronger arms can support hand tasks better.
Is the wrist part of the hand or arm?
The wrist is the junction between the hand and arm, often considered part of the hand.
What are the primary bones in the arm?
The humerus, radius, and ulna.
How long is an average adult's arm?
Varies widely, but it's usually about 25-30% of their height.
What tasks are hands primarily used for?
Tasks like writing, typing, grasping, and tactile exploration.
Can "hand" signify direction, like in clocks?
Yes, "hand" can refer to clock pointers, as in "hour hand" and "minute hand."
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Aimie CarlsonAimie Carlson, holding a master's degree in English literature, is a fervent English language enthusiast. She lends her writing talents to Difference Wiki, a prominent website that specializes in comparisons, offering readers insightful analyses that both captivate and inform.
