to give or pass something to someone by putting it into their hand
Please hand me the salt.
She handed the baby his bottle.
to hit a ball or puck with a backhand stroke
Nadal backhanded the spinning ball deep into his opponent’s court.
During practice, she keeps backhanding serves to build muscle memory.
✦ verbal use of the noun backhand, recorded since late 19th century in sports reporting
to strike someone with the back of one’s hand
In a fit of anger, he backhanded the glass off the table.
She backhanded him across the cheek, leaving everyone speechless.
✦ extension of sports sense, first attested in late 20th-century slang
