кисть hand

Кисти у пианиста были широкие и сильные. The pianist's hands were broad and strong.

Semantics

This entry is concerned with the use of the word кисть to refer to human hands. For distinctions between the word кисть and its synonym рука, see Lexical Relationships: Synonyms. Other meanings — "cluster, bunch" (кисть винограда "a bunch of grapes"), "a cluster of threads" (шаль с кистями "a shawl with tassels"), "paintbrush" (кисть маляра "a painter's brush"), etc. — are not described in this dictionary.

Morphology

кисть SE NPlur. кисти; f.in.noun

Syntax

Syntactic actants

Actant 1: whose hand it is
(a) Genitive
(b) Possessive
Кисти Пети были худые, тонкие, а запястья совсем детские. Petya's hands were lean and slight, and his wrists looked like the wrists of a small child.
Художник рассматривал её кисть. The artist examined her hand.
NB When the word кисть functions as a subject and does not have a descriptive modifier, the construction кисть у + Genitive (or Кисти рук + Genitive) is often preferred to (a) and (b), above:
Кисти у Пети были худые, тонкие. Petya's hands were lean and slight.

Restrictive modifiers

(a) adjectival modifier
(b) noun phrase: Adj + Genitive of рука
левая/правая кисть the left/right hand
кисть левой/правой руки the left/right hand
Левая кисть у Пети была повреждена в автомобильной катастрофе. Petya's left hand was injured in an automobile accident.

Lexical Relationships

Synonyms

рука hand
NB Рука "hand" vs. кисть "hand." The word кисть is somewhat technical (i.e., anatomical) in style and less common than the word рука. Кисть suggests the bones rather than the flesh, and is used only with modifiers that describe visible properties. Thus, such adjectives as влажная "damp," горячая "hot," ловкая "nimble," can only be used with рука, but not with кисть. Certain verb phrases which may include рука are not allowed with кисть: потирать руки "to rub one's hands," взять в руку "to take in one's hand," держать в руке "to hold in one's hand," etc. Compare взять за руку "to take someone by the hand," which is a very common expression, and взять за кисть, which is almost a technical description of the same movement, appropriate for a doctor looking for pulse, or a coach showing a specific movement, etc.
кисти рукg (plural only) hands
NB Note that the expression кисти рук is very commonly used, unlike such expressions as пятки ног "heel." One may therefore consider it to be synonymous with кисть.
Кисти рук у Пети были худые, тонкие. Petya's hands were lean and slight.

Syntactic derivatives

кистевой hand, wrist (as modifiers)
кистевой сустав the wrist joint

Parts

пальцы fingers
ладонь palm
косточки knuckles
NB Note that the word ладонь "palm," not кисть, is used in the following expressions:
тыльная сторона ладониg the back of the hand
ребро ладониg the edge of the hand

What it is a part of

рука arm
кисть левой руки the left hand

Size and shape; aesthetics

большая кисть a large hand
маленькая кисть a small hand
небольшая кисть a small hand
пухлая кисть a fleshy hand
тонкая кисть a fine-boned hand
худая кисть; костлявая кисть a bony hand
широкая кисть a broad hand
рука широкая в кистиp a broad hand
узкая кисть a narrow hand
изящная кисть an elegant hand
обезьянья кисть an ape-like hand

Color and other visible properties

белая кисть a white hand
смуглая кисть an olive-complected hand
загорелая кисть a tanned hand
жилистая кисть a sinewy hand
волосатая кисть a hairy hand
сильная кисть a strong hand
слабая кисть a weak hand
хрупкая кисть a fragile hand
опухшая кисть; распухшая кисть a swollen hand

Movements

брать/взять Na за кистьa to take N by the hand
хватать/схватить Na за кистьa to grasp N by the hand
ловить/поймать Na за кистьa to grab N by the hand

Sample texts

— Нет, прокуратор, я не врач, — ответил арестант, с наслаждением потирая измятую и опухшую багровую [после удара] кисть руки. [М. Булгаков, Мастер и Маргарита] "No, Mr. Procurator, I am not a doctor," answered the prisoner, rubbing his crumpled, swollen, bruised [from the blow] hand with enormous relief. [M. Bulgakov, Master and Margarita]
У Серова была очень оригинальная кисть руки: небольшая, широкая, с короткими пальцами. Serov had a very peculiar hand: rather small and broad, with short fingers.