1
general::
1. Also, at hand. Nearby, accessible, as in I don't have the right tools to hand but asked her to get them for me. [c. 1300] 2. Also, in hand. In one's possession, as in He had their letter to hand, or She had the money in hand. The first term dates from the mid-1700s, the second from about 1200. Also see HAND TO HAND.
American Heritage Idioms