HAND-TO-MOUTH Definition & Meaning

hand-to-mouth

[ hand-tuh-mouth ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

offering or providing the barest livelihood, sustenance, or support; meager; precarious:
a hand-to-mouth existence.

hand-to-mouth

adjective

with barely enough money or food to satisfy immediate needs
a hand-to-mouth existence

Discover More

51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of hand-to-mouth¹

First recorded in 1500–10

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

She noted that “younger kids are at higher risk because they have more hand-to-mouth behavior.”

From

Bombaa says they endure a “hand-to-mouth economy”, never sure where their next meal will come from.

From

"Obviously one of the issues of a hand-to-mouth scheme... it's very difficult for councils to take long-term decisions about running the schemes," he says.

From

Named zeug after the German word for “stuff,” the utensil is a mediator for the intimacy of the hand-to-mouth gesture.

From

At the time, the scientific consensus was that humans were simple scavengers who lived hand-to-mouth until about 40,000 years ago.

From

Browse