What is the Latin word for handle?

The usual Latin words for “handle” are tractō, attrectō, contrectō; also manus, tangō, tentō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“handle” in Latin

tractōto tug, drag or haul; to handle, manage, or treat; to exercise, practise, transact or perform attrectōto touch, handle; to touch in an unlawful manner; violate; to busy oneself with contrectōto touch, handle or finger; to caress or fondle; to contemplate or consider manushand; bravery, valor; violence, fighting tangōto touch, grasp; to reach, arrive at, come to a place; to attain to tentōto handle, touch; to try, test, tempt olfaciōto smell, scent; to cause to smell of anything audiōto hear, listen to; to attend, pay attention to; to accept, agree with, obey armaarms, weapons of war, weaponry, instruments (implements of warfare); military action, war (arms as instruments of policy tēluma spear (whether used for throwing or thrusting); a missile or projectile weapon: an arrow, javelin, dart etc.; a missil

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

handle v.

tractare (in all the meanings of the English verb; e.g., (1) with reference to the sense of touch; opposed to gustare, olfacere, audire: (2) to manage or wield weapons, instruments, etc., arma, tela, fila lyrae, etc.: (3) to deal with or behave to a person, aliquem injuriosius tractare, to handle him roughly: (4) to treat a subject, poposcit, ut haec ipsa quaestio diligentius tractaretur, should be more carefully handled): attrectare: contrectare: pertrectare (to touch); also with manibus: tangere, tentare, both with and without digitis: tactu explorare (to feel, for the sake of finding out).

To treat, tractare [Vid: “to BAHAVE”]. To handle anybody roughly, injuriosius aliquem tractare (Cic.); aspere or contumeliose invehi in aliquem (of abuse); aspere aliquem habere or tractare; asperum esse in aliquem; aliquem acerbe atque dure tractare; durum esse in aliquo: how I handled the Rhodian! quo pacto Rhodium tetigerim! (Ter., Eun., 3, 1, 30.

handle s.

manubrium (of an instrument; e.g., of a knife, a hatchet, etc.): capulus (of a sword, a sickle, etc.): ansa (of a cup, or of vessels in general; also of a door, ostii, etc.): chelonium (broad, curved h. for drawing or turning various machines; Vitr., 10, 1, 2). With a handle to it, manubriatus; ansatus.

IMPROPR., ansa. To give a handle to anything, occasionem praebere, or ansam dare or praebere (alicujus rei or ad aliquid faciendum).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for handle?: The usual Latin words for “handle” are tractō, attrectō, contrectō; also manus, tangō, tentō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.