hand ‧ shake /ˈhændʃeɪk/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
1 . the act of taking someone’s right hand and shaking it, which people do when they meet or leave each other or when they have made an agreement:
He greeted me with a handshake and a glass of wine.
Her handshake was warm and firm.
2 . a special signal sent between two computers, ↑ fax machines etc when they begin to exchange information
—handshaking noun [uncountable]
⇨ ↑ golden handshake
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ a firm handshake (=holding and shaking someone's hand firmly)
Stan greeted me with a firm handshake.
▪ a hearty handshake (=friendly and firm)
The wedding guests exchanged jokes and hearty handshakes.
▪ a limp handshake (=weak – used to show disapproval)
I don't trust a man with a limp handshake.
■ verbs
▪ greet somebody with a handshake
He greeted all of his guests with a handshake and a glass of wine.
▪ give somebody a handshake
She introduced herself and gave Annie a handshake.
▪ exchange handshakes
The teams exchanged handshakes at the end of the game.