handheld

or hand-held

[ hand-held ]

/ ˈhændˌhɛld /

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adjective

held in the hand or hands: a handheld torch.

small enough to be used or operated while being held in the hand or hands: a handheld hair drier.

noun

something small enough to be used or operated while held in the hand or hands: She traded in her bulky old movie camera for a handheld.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of handheld

First recorded in 1920–25

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use handheld in a sentence

They took cover inside a print works to the north east of Paris, where they held a member of staff as a hostage.
France Kills Charlie Hebdo Murderers|Nico Hines|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Eating disorders, on the other hand, are driven largely by biological processes that occur on the inside.
How Skinny Is Too Skinny? Israel Bans ‘Underweight’ Models|Carrie Arnold|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But my sources, my young women and their mother, heroically held firm.
I Tried to Warn You About Sleazy Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2003|Vicky Ward|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“After the New York mentality, it is the ultimate contrast to see people making things by hand,” he said.
The Photographer Who Gave Up Manhattan for Marrakech|Liza Foreman|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Christopher Nolan, Interstellar “My films are always held to a weirdly high standard,” Nolan told me.
Oscars 2015: The Daily Beast’s Picks, From Scarlett Johansson to ‘Boyhood’|Marlow Stern|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
After relievedly giving the pistol to the nearest soldier, he stumbled quickly over to Brion and took his hand.
Sense of Obligation|Henry Maxwell Dempsey (AKA Harry Harrison)
He held it, but it was without pressure; without recognizance of the delight with which he once grasped it.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
She is quite true, but not wise, and your left hand must not know what your right hand is doing.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
The aged woman made no reply; her eyes still studied Ramona's face, and she still held her hand.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
He came to the top of the stairs with a lamp in his hand, and wanted to know what the rumpus was about.
The Bondboy|George W. (George Washington) Ogden

British Dictionary definitions for handheld

hand-held

adjective

held in position by the hand

(of a film camera) held rather than mounted, as in close-up action shots

(of an electronic device) able to be held in the hand and not requiring connection to a fixed power source

noun

a computer that can be held in the hand

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012