See also: hand-tame

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Middle English handtame, from Old English handtam (tame enough to be handled), from Proto-West Germanic *handutam, equivalent to hand +‎ tame. Cognate with Dutch handtam (handtame), German Low German handtamm (handtame), German handzahm (handtame).

Adjective

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handtame (comparative more handtame, superlative most handtame)

  1. Tame and accustomed to being held in the hand; (by extension) mild; meek; humble; docile
    • 2003, From The Heart of a Bird - Page 50:
      I badly wanted a little more time to work on training them, but simply couldn't find it — so while they grew up friendly and confident, you couldn't exactly called them handtame.
    • 2011, David Tipling, The Bird Photography Field Guide:
      This is a really popular image with British photographers when photographing Atlantic puffins, which can be hand-tame — indeed, I have had puffins playfully tugging at my laces while sitting on a cliff top!
    • 2015, Cherry Wilder, A Princess of the Chameln:
      Tamir was all her joy. She had him hand-tame, spoiled him most tenderly.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Verb

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handtame (third-person singular simple present handtames, present participle handtaming, simple past and past participle handtamed)

  1. To cause (someone or something) to become accustomed to being handled
    • 1964, Senior Citizen, volume 10, page 40:
      Even children can handtame wild birds, if they follow Al Martin's simple directions.
    • 2003, Brats in Feathers, Keeping Canaries - Page 49:
      So now that you've decided to handtame your canary, just where do you start?

Translations

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