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

See Examples For:

handheld

Stuff the grilled meat into charcoal-toasted pita with salata na’ameh—a finely diced Palestinian salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, onion and herbs—plus hummus, baba ganoush and/or toum, and you’ve got a handheld feast.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026

A steward uses a handheld fan to cool down a spectator at the tennis at Wimbledon.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

"Drink lots of water and try to freeze a bottle of water before you come out," added Hansen, 50, who was carrying a handheld electric fan.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

They shot it quickly and for just more than $1 million—it was rough and scrappy filmmaking, handheld cameras and insufficient permits and permissions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

Four states banned talking on a handheld cell phone.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel