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

With the help of large handheld food mixers, they carefully grind the mixture of dried Californian grapes and water, which they then ferment before distilling it in a large still imported from Germany.

From Barron's • May 2, 2026

He appeared in adverts for Sony's handheld PlayStation Vita console and the company’s popular quiz show-themed party game, Buzz.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026

Inside, a handheld camera noses into personal conversations like another participant.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 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

He emptied all his handheld video games and Josh's remote control cars, and called his grandma to tell her that all he wanted for his birthday in November was AA batteries.

From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell