handheld

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

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handheld

play \ˈhan(d)-ˌheld\ noun

See handheld defined for English-language learners

See handheld defined for kids

Recent Examples of handheld from the Web

Tom Ford's Caesar style haircut, patch-free stubble, and visible chest hair is as signature to his style as black suits and handheld luggage.

— megan gustashaw, GQ, "The Best Men's Grooming Moves We Saw This Week," 5 Nov. 2017
Fifteen states and the District of Columbia have already banned handheld devices while driving.

— CBS News, "In Washington, distracted driving gets a rebrand as DUI-E," 3 Nov. 2017
Salt & Straw’s flagship scoopery in Larchmont Village is teaming up with Mr. Holmes Bakehouse (of Cruffin and Cruffin Cone fame) to bring you an epic handheld dessert.

— marielle wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, "This Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich Is a Sweet, Sweet Collab Between Two L.A. Favorites," 12 Sep. 2017
But a partnership between a biologist and a chemist may be close to producing a solution: The pair is proposing a handheld sensor that could detect when cyanide is being used in any step in the supply chain.

— jason bittel, Smithsonian, "Soon, You Could Be Able to Tell if Your Aquarium Fish Was Caught With Cyanide," 11 May 2017
Remove brisket and puree sauce in pot using a handheld blender (or puree in a blender).

— frank p. melodia, Redbook, "Sunday Dinner, Super Bowl Edition," 30 Jan. 2014
Visitors to the Besser museum's fossil park can search for their own, handheld-sized Petoskey stones and fossils.

— robert allen, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit's new 93-lb Petoskey stone dwarfed by Up North monstrosity," 11 Oct. 2017
Following the 2008 terrorist bombing of two hotels in Mumbai, some major hotel chains throughout the country implemented much more intense screening systems like handheld trace detectors and X-ray scanners to check for explosives and contraband.

— lori weisberg, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Are metal detectors in hotels' future?," 6 Oct. 2017
When finished, gently dry your outer ear with a towel or handheld dryer.

— seattle times staff, The Seattle Times, "Home remedies: Cleaning out the earwax," 26 Sep. 2017

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.