Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Open-handed \O"pen-hand`ed\, a.
Generous; liberal; munificent. -- O"pen-hand`ed*ness, n.
--J. S. Mill.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
"liberal, generous," c.1600, from open (adj.) + -handed.
Wiktionary
1 Done with the hand open rather than clenched 2 liberal and generous. 3 frank, honest, and tolerant. 4 Characterized by looseness and fullness. adv. 1 With an open hand or hands. 2 generously. v
(en-past of: open-hand)
Usage examples of "open-handed".
Clan Badger warriors and the family of Anleah was cool at first, but by the end of the evening toasts were raised by both sides, pledging the end of hostilities, and both Gaduin and Vergalus were open-handed in the paying of blood-debt gifts to the fathers, brothers and sons of warriors slain in battles of old, those who had not yet been avenged.
The blow was delivered open-handed, so as not to break anything, but the sound of it caused Traunt Rowan to flinch.
Even if it were not for your open-handed generosity, I would be no poorer for having befriended you.
But beneath the shell, in contrast to that open-handed hospitality, was a remoteness, and a sadness.
Open-handed, first with the palms, then with the backs of his hands, he developed a rhythm-palm right, backhand right, palm left, backhand left, over and over, until the sound of the strikes sounded like somebody working a speed bag, wapata, wapata, wapata, wapata.