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hand-held

British  

adjective

  1. held in position by the hand

  2. (of a film camera) held rather than mounted, as in close-up action shots

  3. (of an electronic device) able to be held in the hand and not requiring connection to a fixed power source

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a computer that can be held in the hand

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Productivity makes hand-held scanners and other devices, competing with Zebra Technologies and others.

From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026

People went from simple flip phones to getting access to texting, calling, searching the web on a browser, playing games, and listening to music all in one hand-held device.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

As is their style, the Dardennes capture all of this with frank realism that relies heavily on available light, hand-held cameras, location shoots, and actors who look like real people.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026

During the Christchurch mosque shootings in 2019, an Afghan refugee threw a hand-held credit card machine at the shooter to give congregants more time to hide.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025

The vet took a hand-held electronic scanner off the counter and waved it back and forth over the dog’s back.

From "Eleven" by Tom Rogers