handful

1. (obsolete) A hand's breadth; four inches.Examples: "Knap the tongs together about a handful from the bottom."obsolete

2. (informal) Something which can only be managed with difficulty.Examples: "Those twins are a real handful to look after."; "The Southern acquired them because the little Class "B4" 0-4-0 tanks were finding heavy modern rolling stock more and more of a handful, and at war's end the railway had nothing of suitable power but short wheelbase on its books to take their place on the more tortuous of the dock lines."; "Many times dogs are surrendered for reasons such as changes in the family unit, a death in the family, no time to care for a dog, or because that cute little puppy is now a 100 lb untrained handful."informal

3. (slang) A five-year prison sentence.slang