Skip to main content
hand-held computer

hand-held computer

2 3.2
A small portable computer you hold in one hand
  • noun
  • /ˈhændˌhɛld kəmˈpjuːtər/
translation icon : computadora de mano
  • In today's world, a hand-held computer enables people to access information on the go.
  • using hand-held computer
  • educational hand-held computer

Examples

  • Elementary music education might include students using handheld computer devices alongside traditional classroom instruments.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Another positive aspect is that, although different types of handheld computers vary greatly in price, they are nevertheless all relatively cheap when compared with larger computers.

    Academic text (2004)
  • Data were recorded by trained observers using hand-held computers.

    Academic text (2014)
  • Present-day technology in education includes student use of handheld computer devices.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Since around 2000, there have been a number of monitored trials of handheld computers in schools.

    Academic text (2004)
  • Data were entered by the research assistants on handheld computers.

    Academic text (2009)
  • Are handheld computers a useful tool or just a fad with problems?

    Academic text (2004)
  • For example, in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, school administrators replaced their paper-based scheduling systems with handheld computers.

    Academic text (2002)
  • Some research libraries, including medical libraries, have begun making their catalogs and other library databases accessible via handheld computers.

    Academic text (2004)
  • Fitness and nutrition teachers used the handheld computers with Vivonic Fitness Plan software to help students monitor their nutritional intake and physical activity.

    Academic text (2004)

Synonyms

handheld
vshand-held computer
35 3.7

A small electronic device you hold and use with one hand

is specifically a small battery powered computing device not any electronic gadget
portable computer
vshand-held computer
4 2.7

A small computer you can carry to use in different places

is smaller and made to be held and carried in one hand
hand-held microcomputer
vshand-held computer
5.6

A small, battery-powered computer that fits in one hand or a pocket

is the common simpler term for the same small device

Antonyms

A computer for use at a desk with a separate screen, keyboard, and mouse

How Portable

smartphone
227 1.8
hand-held computer
2 3.2
laptop
309 1.0
mainframe computer
  • Specialized
4 4.6

Surface Forms

Morphology

hand-held + computer

The meaning 'a small, portable computer that can be held in one hand' is directly and literally derivable from combining 'hand-held' (held in the hand) with 'computer' (an electronic device). This straightforward compounding pattern is common in English (and in many languages), so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would reliably understand the MWE.

Etymology

Hand-held computer comes from the simple picture of a computer you can hold in one hand. That clear image is why it means 'a small, easy-to-carry computer' you can use while moving.