panhandle

¹ American  

[pan-han-dl] / ˈpænˌhæn dl /

noun

1. the handle of a pan.

2. (sometimes initial capital letter) a long, narrow, projecting strip of territory that is not a peninsula, especially such a part of a specified state.

   the panhandle of Alaska; the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles.

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panhandle ² American  

[pan-han-dl] / ˈpænˌhæn dl /

verb (used without object)

panhandled, panhandling

1. to accost passers-by on the street, riders on the subway, motorists stopped at red lights, etc., and beg from them.

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verb (used with object)

panhandled, panhandling

1. to accost and beg from.

2. to obtain by accosting and begging from someone.

panhandle ¹ British  

/ ˈpænˌhændəl /

noun

1. (sometimes capital) (in the US) a narrow strip of land that projects from one state into another

2. (in a South African city) a plot of land without street frontage

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panhandle ² British  

/ ˈpænˌhændəl /

verb

1. informal to accost and beg from (passers-by), esp on the street

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Other Word Forms

• panhandler noun

Etymology

Origin of panhandle¹

First recorded in 1855–60; pan ¹ + handle

Origin of panhandle²

An Americanism first recorded in 1885–90; so called from the resemblance of the extended arm to a panhandle ¹

Example Sentences

A similar warning was issued for parts of the Florida panhandle.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

Smith of Franklin County, Fla., in the state’s panhandle, initially criticized ICE officers for not communicating with local law enforcement but said he has since opened a dialogue with them.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026

In the age of artificial intelligence, it turns out that owning 5,700 acres of land in the Texas panhandle can outweigh having no revenue to speak of.

From Barron's • Oct. 27, 2025

The couple had recently moved from the remote ranching town of Stinnett in the Texas panhandle, and the recruiter seemed to appreciate their Southern drawl.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 16, 2025

By and by Rosellini left academia, departed Seattle, and drifted north up the coast through British Columbia and the Alaska panhandle.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer