# handfast

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A hold, grasp; custody, power of confining or keeping.
2. A contract, agreement, covenant; specifically betrothal, espousal.

## Etymology
From Middle English hondfast, past participle of Middle English hondfesten (“to betroth”), from Old Norse handfesta (“to strike a bargain, pledge”), itself from hönd (“hand”) + festa (“to fasten, fix, affirm”), perhaps from a Proto-Indo-European root *pHst-.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/handfast