Body Parts: man, mani, manu (hand)

Think you can handle this list of words that derive from the Latin manus, meaning "hand"? Then give yourself a hand!
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. manage
    handle effectively
    And we both watched as he managed to stick on the stamps without touching the envelope. Beyond the Bright Sea
  2. maintain
    keep in a certain state, position, or activity
    He willed his heart to maintain a calm beat. Artemis Fowl
    manus + tenere ("to hold")
  3. manufacture
    put together out of artificial or natural components
    “Listen,” gasped Donovan hoarsely, “those parts were manufactured back on Earth and sent here.” I, Robot
    manus + facere ("to make") + ure (suffix forming nouns)
  4. manifest
    reveal its presence or make an appearance
    She was watching him as though expecting strange symptoms to manifest themselves at any moment. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
    manus + festus ("struck")
  5. manuscript
    handwritten book or document
    None of them was written by Peregrin, but he and his successors collected many manuscripts written by scribes of Gondor: mainly copies or summaries of histories or legends relating to Elendil and his heirs. The Fellowship of the Ring
    manus + scriptum ("writing, book")
  6. emancipate
    free from slavery or servitude
    The digital revolution will not emancipate writers or open up a new era of creativity, it will mean that writers offer up their work for next to nothing or for free. The Guardian
    ex (prefix meaning "away, out") + manus + capere ("to take")
  7. manual
    of or relating to the hands
    There was little choice, as Her Highness Rachel is above manual labor, and Ruth May beneath it so to speak, so Leah and I were considered by our mother, by default, disposed for her errands. The Poisonwood Bible
  8. manipulate
    hold something in one's hands and move it
    He tried to manipulate the guitar, harmonica, drums, and cymbals all at once. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
    manus + plere ("to fill") + ate (suffix forming verbs)
    In addition to its literal meaning, this word can also mean figuratively to control, manage, or influence.
  9. maneuver
    move skillfully, as around obstacles or into a position
    She listened as he struggled to maneuver the box through the narrow doorway. How the García Girls Lost Their Accents
    manus + operari ("to operate")
    The word started as a two-word phrase in Latin, but got compressed in its passage through French.
  10. mandatory
    required by rule
    Attendance is mandatory unless you are on death's door. The Hunger Games
    manus + dare ("to give") + ory (suffix forming adjectives)
  11. manicure
    professional care for the hands and fingernails
    I like her big smiley cheeks and the way her pink hijab matches her manicure. A Place at the Table
    manus + cura ("to care")
Created on Tue Feb 10 10:30:01 EST 2026 (updated Fri Mar 20 16:12:17 EDT 2026)

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