high five

[hahy-fahyv] Origin

high-five

[hahy-fahyv]
noun
a gesture of greeting, good-fellowship, or triumph in which one person slaps the upraised palm of the hand against that of another.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

high-five
originally U.S. basketball slang, 1980 as a noun, 1981 as a verb, though the greeting itself seems to be older (e.g. Dick Shawn in "The Producers," 1968).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary

high five definition


  1. n.
    a greeting where the palm of the hand is raised and slapped against another person's palm similarly raised. (Compare this with low five.) : They exchanged a high five and went on with the show.
  2. tv. & in.
    to greet someone as described in sense 1. : They high fived and went off together.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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