/ ˈhændfʊl; NAmE / noun
1.
[ C ] handful (of sth) the amount of sth that can be held in one hand :
a handful of rice
2.
[ sing. ] handful (of sb/sth) a small number of people or things :
Only a handful of people came.
3.
a ~ [ sing. ] ( informal ) a person or an animal that is difficult to control :
Her children can be a real handful.