noun
palm
pahm
noun
1
A tall tropical tree with a crown of large leaves and no branches, such as the ones seen on beaches.
"Palm trees lined the resort's private beach."
"A coconut palm swayed gently in the wind."
2
The inner, slightly hollow surface of the hand, from the wrist to the base of the fingers.
"She read his fortune by studying the lines on his palm."
"He wiped the sweat from his palms before the handshake."
verb
1
To hide something in the hand, often to steal it or as part of a magic trick.
"The magician palmed the coin so smoothly no one noticed."
"Security footage showed him palming a candy bar off the shelf."
How to Use Palm
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the tropical tree, the inside surface of your hand, or (as a verb) secretly holding something in your hand to hide or steal it.
Common pairings
palm tree
sweaty palms
palm reading
palm something off
Word Forms
palmed past tense, palms plural, palms plural, Palms plural, palms singular
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Etymology
From Latin palma, meaning both "palm of the hand" and "palm tree" — the tree was named for its leaves, which fan out like the fingers of an open hand.