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

Example Sentences

Founded in 1998 under a different company name by Max Levchin, Peter Thiel and Luke Nosek, the startup initially focused on security software for handheld devices before shifting to digital payments.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

"Because we suspect this ability may be more widespread than currently documented," Osuna-Mascaró says, "we invite readers who have observed cows or bulls using sticks or other handheld objects for purposeful actions to contact us."

From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026

GPS—short for Global Positioning System—has long had dead spots, but its reliability has been further eroded by the emergence of cheap handheld devices that can drown out the satellite signals upon which it relies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

Filming from the ground floor with handheld cameras that wouldn’t stir museum security’s suspicion, P.A.I.N. captured a truly remarkable sight as the Sackler’s blizzard came to life.

From Salon • Mar. 14, 2026

Radar already had his handheld out; he was searching Omnictionary for the phrase.

From "Paper Towns" by John Green