avuç

Avuç is a Turkish noun meaning the palm of the hand—the concave inner surface formed when the fingers are cupped. It refers to the portion of the hand that can hold or scoop small objects and is used in everyday descriptions of size, quantity, or reach. In anatomical terms it is distinguished from the back of the hand and from the fingers.

The word avuç is of Turkic origin. It appears in Middle Turkish texts and remains common in modern Turkish, with cognates found in related Turkic languages that describe the same body part. The term is typically used in combination with other words to specify a more precise sense, such as avuç içi (the palm surface) or avuç dolusu (a handful).

Usage and expressions are among the most characteristic aspects of avuç. Avuç içi refers specifically to the palm’s inner surface. Avuç dolusu denotes the amount that can be held in a cupped hand, serving as an informal unit of measurement in cooking, craftwork, and daily life. The phrase avuç kadar is used to convey roughly the size of a palm or something of similar small scale. Because of its practical, tangible meaning, avuç frequently appears in everyday speech, literature, and idiomatic expressions related to holding, capturing, or grasping.

See also: el (hand), avuç içi, handful (as an approximate concept in Turkish usage).