raise one's hand

Verb

raise one's hand (third-person singular simple present raises one's hand, present participle raising one's hand, simple past and past participle raised one's hand)

1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see raise, hand.
   • She raised her hand to touch his face.
2. To volunteer.
   • The sergeant asked for someone to cross the minefield, and Private Muggins raised his hand.
   • Which of you speaks German?” The prisoners looked warily at each other. None of the others moved. Saul, sensing opportunity, raised his hand. “Good, come forward, stand aside here,”2010, Michael J. Goodspeed, Our Only Shield: A Novel of the Second World War, page 143
3. To vote; to indicate agreement or approval.
   • Kevin pounded his fists into the desk and started crying. “You just hate me,” he wailed. Mrs. Pascual put her book down and said to her class, “Please raise your hand if you think that I hate Kevin.”2010, Lori La Forgia, Everybody Has A Story, Xlibris Corporation, →ISBN, page 34
   • To demonstrate how much the students had in common despite their different political views, I said, “Raise your hand if you want America to be less safe and less secure. Raise your hand if you want terrorism to increase. Raise your hand if you want the American economy to collapse. Raise your hand...2013, Paul K. Chappell, The Art of Waging Peace: A Strategic Approach to Improving Our Lives and the World, Easton Studio Press, →ISBN
4. To ask a question or make a request.
   • The President said that he would now take questions, and several reporters raised their hands.
   • Little Timmy raised his hand to go to the toilet.
5. (often) To assault physically, notionally with the hand or fist.
   • A man should not raise his hand against his wife.