handheld

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adjective hand·held \ˈhan(d)-ˌheld, -ˈheld\

Definition of handheld

: held in the hand; especially : designed to be operated while being held in the hand handheld computers

handheld

\ˈhan(d)-ˌheld\ noun

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See handheld defined for kids

Recent Examples of handheld from the Web

After using the duplicate key to get inside the car, the Hooligan members used a handheld electronic device to pair the key with the car's computer to turn the engine on and drive off.

— hamza shaban, chicagotribune.com, "Stolen computer code helped a biker gang steal 150 Jeeps", 2 June 2017
With a body weight of 2.65 pounds, Panasonic said it could be used for handheld applications and can also be mounted on a drone, gimbal rig or jib arm.

— carolyn giardina, The Hollywood Reporter, "Cine Gear: Sony, Panasonic, Canon Unwrap New Digital Cinema Camera Plans", 2 June 2017
And for every 30-minute increase in handheld screen time, the kids had a 49 percent increased risk of expressive speech delay.

— by michael roizen, m.d., and mehmet oz, m.d., idahostatesman, "Nutrition and human interaction give baby a brain-boost", 26 May 2017
The DataPen from Storm Primax is a handheld personal text scanner that the company says can read text about 10 to 20 times faster than your average typist.

— wired staff, WIRED, "Fetish", 1 June 1996

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'handheld'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.