something for a hand to grip on

the rock is steep and there are few handholds

hold (a camera) in the hand when taking a photograph or making a video recording, as opposed to using a tripod

we could hand-hold the camera at very slow shutter speeds with hardly any blur

support or guide (someone) during a learning process or a period of change

if you ask a mentor how to register, he or she will hand-hold you through the procedure