noun
yarn count; thread count number
Technical textile term for the count or number expressing yarn thickness; the exact scale depends on the yarn-count system.
糸の番手が大きいほど、一般に糸は細くなる。
In general, the higher the yarn count, the finer the yarn becomes.
序盤、彼は先頭から少し離れた三番手につけた。
Early on, he settled into third place, a little behind the leader.
リレーの走順は、彼女が四番手だ。
In the relay order, she is the fourth runner.
suffix
nth rank in a battle formation; nth line of troops
Military use, especially in descriptions of battle order, for a numbered rank or unit in a formation.
戦国時代の軍記では、先陣に続く隊を二番手と書くことがある。
In military chronicles of the Warring States period, the unit following the vanguard is sometimes written as the second rank.
noun
castle guard
Historical noun for a guard or guard duty connected with a castle; not a common everyday modern use.
江戸時代の記録には、城門を守る番手の交代時刻が記されている。
An Edo-period record notes the shift times of the castle guards who watched the gate.
noun
second-place horse; horse running just behind the leader
Horse-racing term for the horse in second position, especially the one tracking the leader.
番手の馬が直線で逃げ馬をかわした。
The horse in second place passed the front-runner in the stretch.
Broader word for number, turn, watch, or duty; 番手 is a more specific noun or suffix for counted position, guard-related uses, or yarn count.
Formed from 番, associated with order, turn, or watch duty, plus 手, which can refer to a person, side, or position. The specialized meanings, such as yarn count and horse-racing position, are conventional uses rather than transparent literal meanings.