handheld

American  

[hand-held] / ˈhændˌhɛld /

Or hand-held

adjective

1. held in the hand or hands.

   a handheld torch.

2. small enough to be used or operated while being held in the hand or hands.

   a handheld hair drier.

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noun

1. 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.

Etymology

Origin of handheld

First recorded in 1920–25

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

handheld

At its annual developer conference Connect last month, Meta also revealed a new handheld AI hardware product called Muse Charm that allows users to interact with their Muse agent separately from a smartphone.

From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026

There were handheld American flags on skinny sticks, midsize ones to display on a wall and majestic formal flags adorned with silky gold fringe.

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026

But seeking a distinct, permanent identity for their fandom, dubbed "VIPs", band leader G-Dragon proposed a handheld yellow crown, setting the template for custom concert merchandise.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

The researchers also found that a relatively inexpensive handheld X-ray fluorescence scanner could readily detect lead based ink in a burned scroll.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026

Chase pulled the handheld GPS out of his go bag and fired it up.

From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith

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