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hand-operated

hand-operated

1 3.7
You control it by hand rather than by electricity
  • adjective
  • /hænd ˈɒpəreɪtɪd/
translation icon : manual
  • The mechanic preferred using a hand-operated tool for precision in his repairs.
  • hand-operated pump

Examples

  • The old windmills pump water in surges, just like a hand-operated water pump.

    Academic text (1994)
  • An outdoor pump, hand-operated, provides drinking and washing water for pupils.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Small example: I have a nice hand-operated coffee mill/grinder.

    Blog text (23)
  • Although the refugees can still get water from hand-operated pumps on other boreholes, accessing them requires walking further distances and physical labor to prime the pump.

    Academic text (2015)
  • The gardener used a hand-operated tiller to prepare the soil for planting.

  • For camping trips, it's convenient to have a hand-operated water pump for clean drinking water.

Synonyms

manual
vshand-operated
101 3.8

Done by hand rather than by a machine

is controlled directly by a person rather than running by itself
non-automatic
vshand-operated
4.9

Needing a person to operate it by hand

is operated or controlled by a person rather than working on its own

Antonyms

195 3.4

Works by itself with little or no human control

How Manual

hand-operated
1 3.7
automatic
195 3.4

Surface Forms

hand-operated positive

Morphology

hand-operated = operated (transparent) = hand + operate + ed

The word is formed by adding the prefix 'hand-' to 'operated' (operate + -ed), so it clearly means 'operated by hand'.

Etymology

The word hand-operated combines hand, the body part you use to hold and move things, and operate, which means 'to work' or 'to control' something. A helpful image is a coffee grinder you turn with your hand: it 'works with your hands' instead of running automatically, so you control it directly.