taut hand

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word taut hand. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word taut hand, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say taut hand in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word taut hand you have here. The definition of the word taut hand will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition oftaut hand, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

English

Noun

taut hand (plural taut hands)

  1. (nautical, dated) An officer who is severe in discipline.
    • 1993, Dewey Lambdin, The Gun Ketch:
      " [] I'm no Tartar nor a slavedriver. But I am a taut hand, and a taut ship where every man jack works clearly for me, our ship, his mates, and our Fleet is a happy ship. [] "
      (the novel The Gun Ketch is set in the late 1800s)
  2. (nautical, dated) strict discipline.
    • 1879, George Cupples, The Green Hand: Adventures of a Naval Lieutenant:
      "Twas the first time I did that part of the duty in command, and I felt, in the circumstances, I was in for carrying it out with a taut hand."

References