handheld

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

|Updated on: 12 Aug 2018

Definition of handheld

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

handheld computers

—

handheld

play \ˈhan(d)-ˌheld\ noun

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Recent Examples of handheld from the Web

The school's administration sent a message to parents on March 29 stating that all handheld pencil sharpeners were banned.

— CBS News, "Elementary school students used razor blades from pencil sharpeners to cut themselves, school says," 18 Apr. 2018
The game is free to play and users can keep playing their same character from console to handheld device to computer.

— alyssa newcomb and peter maguire /, NBC News, "Video game 'Fortnite' is raking in millions and taking over the real world," 12 July 2018
The risk is more than two times as high for people talking on handheld devices, the study says.

— fredrick kunkle, Washington Post, "Female drivers are more likely to use mobile phones behind the wheel, study finds," 10 July 2018
Combine the butter, the remaining 2 cups of sugar and the salt in the bowl of a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer; beat on medium for 4 to 5 minutes.

— becky krystal, Houston Chronicle, "This classic coffee cake is what good mornings are made of," 18 June 2018
Combine the all-purpose flour, sugar and the almond flour or almond meal in the bowl of a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer.

— charlotte druckman, sacbee, "In a churn of events, salted butter is back | The Sacramento Bee," 8 May 2018
The Cambridge, Massachusetts, company's handheld device uses a hair-thin, 450-mph stream of liquid to inject drugs right through the skin, virtually pain free.

— mike feibus, USA TODAY, "Afraid of needles? These start-ups are working on alternatives," 8 July 2018
Using handheld scanners, the inspectors who’d staked out the escalator checked the tickets and Clipper cards of each person.

— michael cabanatuan, San Francisco Chronicle, "BART cited 1,300 fare evaders in 2 months. Only about 100 paid up," 4 June 2018
In court, prosecutors said Torey G. Stockton, 21, of District Heights, Md., fired 15 rounds from a handheld assault weapon into a group of people standing outside a convenience store at 16th and U streets SE.

— keith l. alexander, Washington Post, "Judge orders man to remain in jail in connection with January fatal drive-by shooting," 28 June 2018

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.

First Known Use of handheld

1891

in the meaning defined above

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HANDHELD Defined for English Language Learners

handheld

adjective

Definition of handheld for English Language Learners

: designed to be used while being held in your hands

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See words that rhyme with handheld Spanish Central: Translation of handheld Nglish: Translation of handheld for Spanish speakers

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handheld

Definition of handheld

handheld

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