Having the hand clenched into a fist, or used in combination to describe the way something is gripped or handled.
From Old English fyst meaning 'a closed hand,' with the past participle suffix -ed added to create an adjective. The word has Germanic roots and appears in various compounds throughout English history.
The term 'tight-fisted' became a way to describe someone stingy with money—because holding something tightly in your fist meant you wouldn't let it go!
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