holding device
- noun
- Specialized
- a hand-held device
Examples
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Since he is planning at home, he is using his hand-held device to view a free and dedicated website written in Swahili.
Academic text (2006) -
Hand-held devices may well become the primary receivers of OER materials in the developing world.
Academic text (2006) -
Much of the developing world has leapfrogged the desktop-computer era and gone directly to hand-held devices, which now contain as much computing power as the average desktop did in 2000.
Academic text (2006) -
You insert your slide into the slide-holding device at the front of the tube, open the hinged diffuser plate, shine a strong light into the front of the unit, and look through the viewfinder of your camera.
Academic text (1994) -
You insert your slide into the holding device at the front of the tube to view it clearly.
-
The technician used a special holding device to secure the fragile part during the assembly process.
-
This holding device keeps the artwork in place while it's being framed.
Synonyms
A thing that holds or supports other objects, like a pen stand
A device that holds or locks something closed
A machine part that holds or picks up objects firmly, like on a robot arm
A part or device that keeps something firmly in place
A tool that holds objects firmly, like forceps used by surgeons
A device or method that keeps something from moving
A tool for holding or lifting things safely
Antonyms
How Secure
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a tool that holds or secures an object' is directly and compositionally derived from 'hold' (to take/support) + 'device' (a tool), forming a transparent noun phrase. This straightforward noun–noun construction follows regular English compounding and is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily understand it.
Etymology
Holding device comes from a simple image: the holding part means keeping something still and the device part means a tool, so imagine a clamp or clip keeping a metal sheet or a test tube steady. That's why holding device means 'a tool used to keep something in place'.