adj. 1. obtained or used after prior use by another person. the term hand-me-down is often used of clothing previously worn by older family members. The term may also be used metaphorically of ideas. Syn. -- hand-down, secondhand, used. [ WordNet 1.5 ]
n. An outgrown garment given to one person after use by another; -- usually transferred between members of a family or close friends; as, because she was the youngest of four girls, the clothes she wore were always hand-me-downs. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]