mano
/ˈmaː.no/
Definition
The hand; the part of the body at the end of the arm, used for holding and touching things.
Example
Mi ha stretto la mano con un gran sorriso.
Show translation
He shook my hand with a big smile.
Etymology
From Latin *manus* ("hand"), one of the most stable words in the entire Romance family. It retained the Latin feminine gender even though it ends in -o, which is the source of one of Italian's most famous grammar exceptions (le mani, not *le manos).
Cultural note
Italians are famously expressive with their hands — so much so that "parlare con le mani" (to talk with one's hands) is a cultural stereotype worldwide. A handshake (stretta di mano) is the standard formal greeting. The word also appears in dozens of set phrases: *dare una mano* (to lend a hand / help out), *fuori mano* (out of the way / remote), and *di seconda mano* (secondhand). False-friend alert for Spanish speakers: Spanish *mano* is the same word, but in Italian the plural is **le mani**, not *le manos*.