nearhand

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈnɪə(ɹ).hand/

Etymology 1

From Middle English nerhand, nerehand, nerehonde, equivalent to near ‎ hand.

Adjective

nearhand (comparative more nearhand, superlative most nearhand)

1. Nearby; close at hand; nigh; adjacent.
   • 1894, Royal Commission on Agriculture, “Minutes of evidence taken before Her Majesty's commissioners”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), volumes 1-2, page 527:

     We are nearer hand to the great coal districts, and there is a tendency for the men to go there. We are nearer hand to the great mining centres than are those that Mr. Scott represented

   • 1902, Francis Lynde, The master of Appleby, page 518:

     But whether, when he should break his camp at Forney's plantation, he would go northward after Morgan and the prisoners, or cross the river at some nearhand ford to chase our main, none of our scouts could tell us.

   • 1921, United States naval medical bulletin, volume 15, page 320:

     The person discovering the fire will immediately endeavor to extinguish it by the use of the nearest means at hand, such as suffocation by blankets or other material, use of w7ater, or the nearest hand fire extinguisher or pyrene outfit

Etymology 2

From Middle English nerehand, nerhond, nerehande, equivalent to near ‎ hand.

Adverb

nearhand (not comparable)

1. (now dialectal) Nearly.
2. (now dialectal) Nearby; near at hand.

Etymology 3

From Middle English nerhand, nerehand, nerhande, from the adverb (above). Equivalent to near ‎ hand.

Preposition

nearhand

1. (now dialectal) Nearby.
   • 1862, Margaret Maitland, Passages in the Life of, page 247:

     And when I was nearhand the house, I met Menie, her daughter, and she told me that they had heard word from Sandy that morning [...].

   • 1904, Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons, Papers by command, volume 42, page 32:

     but I will tell you that some of my coopers went into the fishing station and vomited, owing to the smell from the whales, and they declared to me when they came back that it was the last time they would go nearhand them

   • 1926, Catholic World, volume 123, page 199:

     You'll be always nearhand us in Tierneys' mill.