Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Of or relating to the hands.
  • adjective Done by, used by, or operated with the hands.
  • adjective Employing human rather than mechanical energy.
  • adjective Of, relating to, or resembling a small reference book.
  • noun A small reference book, especially one giving instructions.
  • noun Music A keyboard, as of an organ or harpsichord, played with the hands.
  • noun A machine operated by hand.
  • noun Prescribed movements in the handling of a weapon, especially a rifle.
  • noun A maneuver in certain board sports, such as skateboarding, in which all of the board except one end is lifted off the ground, especially when the tip of the board is kept from making contact with the ground.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Of or pertaining to the hand; performed, made, or used by the hand; employing the hands: as, manual dexterity or skill; manual labor; a manual operation; the manual arts.
  • Having hands.
  • In zoology, of or pertaining to the manus or hand: distinguished from pedal: as, manual muscles, those which lie wholly in the hand.
  • noun A small book, such as may be carried in the hand or conveniently handled; especially, a book of convenient size containing the elements of a science, a collection of rules, or the like, designed for use as a text-book or as a reference-book: as, a manual of laws.—2. Specifically, an office-book of the medieval Catholic Church in England, containing the form to be observed by priests in the administration of the sacraments of communion (out of mass), baptism, penance, marriage, and extreme unction, and in churchings, burials, etc.
  • noun In music: In a musical instrument, a key or lever for the hands or fingers; a digital. See key, 4 , and keyboard.
  • noun In organs, a keyboard for the hands: opposed to pedal: as, an organ with two manuals. Abbreviated M.
  • noun A fire-engine worked by hand, as distinguished from the more modern steam fire-engine. See fire-engine.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Of or pertaining to the hand.
  • adjective Performed by a person using physical as contrasted with mental effort.
  • adjective Done or made by the hand. In some contexts, contrasted with automatic or mechanical.
  • adjective (Mil.) the exercise by which soldiers are taught the use of their muskets and other arms.
  • adjective the impression of a seal worn on the hand as a ring.
  • adjective See under Sign.
  • noun A small book, such as may be carried in the hand, or conveniently handled; a handbook; specifically, the service book of the Roman Catholic Church.
  • noun (Mus.) A keyboard of an organ or harmonium for the fingers, as distinguished from the pedals; a clavier, or set of keys.
  • noun (Mil.) A prescribed exercise in the systematic handing of a weapon

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Performed with the hands (of an activity).
  • adjective Operated by means of the hands (of a machine, device etc.).
  • noun A handbook.
  • noun A booklet that instructs on the usage of a particular machine.
  • noun music A keyboard for the hands on a harpsichord, organ, or other musical instrument.
  • noun A manual transmission; a gearbox, especially of a motorized vehicle, shifted by the operator.
  • noun by synecdoche A vehicle with a manual transmission.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a small handbook
  • adjective requiring human effort
  • noun (military) a prescribed drill in handling a rifle
  • adjective of or relating to the hands
  • adjective doing or requiring physical work

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old French manuel, from Latin manuālis, from manus, hand; see manus.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Anglo-Norman manuel, manual, from Latin manuālis, from manus ("hand").

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Old French manuel, from Late Latin manuāle

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Examples

Comments

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  • in mountain biking and cycling, it's a wheelie (riding on the back wheel) where the rider does not pedal to maintain the wheelie. This is typically done on a slight downhill gradient.

    January 12, 2013

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    January 13, 2013