You can hand something down, hand it off, hand it out, hand it over. You can play your hand, live from hand to mouth, give your hand in marriage, try your hand, or take matters in hand. You can be high-handed, rule with a heavy hand, show your hand, keep your hand in. A hand can be a measure of length, a helper on a ship ("All hands on deck!"), a style of penmanship ("She writes a fine hand"), or a set of cards held by a single player.

The list goes on and on. In my dictionary, the definitions of "hand" fill the better part of a column, not counting words derived from "hand," such as "handicap" or "handbook" or "handsome."

The multiple meanings for the word give a feel for (or should I say, give you a handle on) the importance of hands in our lives. In this issue, we consider these amazing and adaptable appendages. Our hands - and the large and complex brain that we evolved along with them - are among the features that make us human.