Meaning of hand sth down In English

• 0 to give something to someone younger than you in the family because you want them to have it or because you no longer need it:

  • This necklace was handed down to my mother by my grandmother.

• 1 to pass traditions from older people to younger ones:

  • a custom handed down through the generations

• 2 to announce an official decision, especially in a court of law:

  • The court handed down an eight-year sentence.

  • He plans to appeal the verdict handed down by a jury yesterday.

  • A federal grand jury handed down an indictment intended to strip him of his US citizenship.

• 3 to give or teach something to a younger member of your family:

  • hand sth down from sb to sb The men practise a skill handed down from father to son.

• 4 to announce a decision in a court of law:

  • He showed little emotion when the 20-year sentence was handed down.