hold

1 [hohld] verb, held; held or ( Archaic ) hold·en; hold·ing; noun
verb (used with object)
1.
to have or keep in the hand; keep fast; grasp: She held the purse in her right hand. He held the child's hand in his.
2.
to set aside; reserve or retain: to hold merchandise until called for; to hold a reservation.
3.
to bear, sustain, or support, as with the hands or arms, or by any other means.
4.
to keep in a specified state, relation, etc.: The preacher held them spellbound.
5.
to detain: The police held him at the station house.
6.
to engage in; preside over; carry on: to hold a meeting.
7.
to keep back from action; hinder; restrain: Fear held him from acting.
8.
to have the ownership or use of; keep as one's own; occupy: to hold political office.
9.
to contain or be capable of containing: This bottle holds a quart.
10.
to bind or make accountable to an obligation: We will hold you to your promise to pay back the money.
11.
to have or keep in the mind; think or believe: We hold this belief.
12.
to regard or consider: to hold a person responsible.
13.
to decide legally.
14.
to consider of a certain value; rate: We held her best of all the applicants.
15.
to keep forcibly, as against an adversary: Enemy forces held the hill.
16.
to point, aim, or direct: He held a gun on the prisoner. The firefighter held a hose on the blaze.
17.
Music. to sustain (a note, chord, or rest).
18.
to omit from the usual order or combination: Give me a burger well-done—hold the pickle.
verb (used without object)
19.
to remain or continue in a specified state, relation, etc.: Hold still while I take your picture.
20.
to remain fast; adhere; cling: Will this button hold?
21.
to keep or maintain a grasp on something.
22.
to maintain one's position against opposition; continue in resistance.
23.
to agree or side (usually followed by with ): to hold with new methods.
24.
to hold property by some tenure; derive title (usually followed by by, from, in, or of ).
25.
to remain attached, faithful, or steadfast (usually followed by to ): to hold to one's purpose.
26.
to remain valid; be in force: The rule does not hold.
27.
to refrain or forbear (usually used imperatively).
00:10
Hold up is always a great word to know.
So is interrobang. Does it mean:
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question.
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
noun
28.
an act of holding fast by a grasp of the hand or by some other physical means; grasp; grip: Take hold. Do you have a hold on the rope?
29.
something to hold a thing by, as a handle; something to grasp, especially for support.
30.
something that holds fast or supports something else.
31.
an order reserving something: to put a hold on a library book.
32.
Finance. a security purchased or recommended for long-term growth.
33.
a controlling force or dominating influence: to have a hold on a person.
34.
Wrestling. a method of seizing an opponent and keeping him in control: a toe hold.
35.
Music. fermata.
36.
a pause or delay, as in a continuing series: a hold in the movements of a dance.
37.
a prison or prison cell.
38.
a receptacle for something: a basket used as a hold for letters.
39.
Rocketry. a halt in the prelaunch countdown, either planned or unexpectedly called, to allow correction of one or more faults in the rocket or missile.
40.
a fortified place; stronghold.
41.
(on telephones with two or more lines) a feature that enables a person to maintain a connection on one line while answering another line.
Verb phrases
42.
hold back,
a.
to restrain or check: Police held back the crowd.
b.
to retain possession of; keep back: He held back ten dollars.
c.
to refrain from revealing; withhold: to hold back information.
d.
to refrain from participating or engaging in some activity: He held back from joining in the singing because he felt depressed.
e.
Photography, dodge ( def 2 ).
43.
hold down,
a.
to restrain; check: Hold down that noise!
b.
to continue to hold and manage well: She held down that job for years.
44.
hold forth,
a.
to extend or offer; propose.
b.
to talk at great length; harangue: When we left, he was still holding forth on World War II.
45.
hold in,
a.
to restrain; check; curb.
b.
to contain oneself; exercise restraint: He was raging inside, but held himself in for fear of saying something he would regret.
46.
hold off,
a.
to keep at a distance; resist; repel.
b.
to postpone action; defer: If you hold off applying for a passport, you may not get one in time.
47.
hold on,
a.
to keep a firm grip on.
b.
to keep going; continue.
c.
to maintain, as one's opinion or position.
d.
to stop; halt (usually used imperatively): Hold on now! That isn't what I meant at all.
e.
to keep a telephone connection open by not hanging up the receiver: The operator asked us to hold on while the number we'd dialed was being checked.
48.
hold out,
a.
to present; offer.
b.
to stretch forth; extend: Hold out your hand.
c.
to continue to exist; last: Will the food hold out?
d.
to refuse to yield or submit: The defenders held out for weeks.
e.
to withhold something expected or due: He was suspected of holding out information important to the case.
49.
hold over,
a.
to keep for future consideration or action; postpone.
b.
to remain in possession or in office beyond the regular term.
c.
to remain beyond the arranged period: The movie was held over for a week.
d.
Music. to prolong (a tone) from one measure to the next.
50.
hold up,
a.
to offer; give: She held up his father as an example to follow.
b.
to present to notice; expose: to hold someone up to ridicule.
c.
to hinder; delay: The plane's departure was held up because of the storm.
d.
to stop by force in order to rob.
e.
to support; uphold: to hold up farm prices.
f.
to stop; halt: They held up at the gate.
g.
to maintain one's position or condition; endure: They held up through all their troubles.
51.
hold with,
a.
to be in agreement with; concur with: I don't hold with his pessimistic views.
b.
to approve of; condone: They won't hold with such a travesty of justice.
Idioms
52.
get hold of,
a.
to get a hold on: Get hold of the railing.
b.
to communicate with, especially by telephone: If she's not at home, try to get hold of her at the office.
53.
hold one's own. own ( def 9 ).
54.
hold one's peace. peace ( def 14 ).
55.
hold one's tongue. tongue ( def 33 ).
56.
hold water. water ( def 36 ).
57.
no holds barred, without limits, rules, or restraints.
58.
on hold,
a.
in or into a state of temporary interruption or suspension: The project will be put on hold until funds become available.
b.
Telecommunications. in or into a state of temporary interruption in a telephone connection: I'm putting you on hold to answer another call. Compare call waiting.
Origin:
before 900; Middle English holden, Old English h(e)aldan; cognate with Old Frisian, Old Norse halda, Old Saxon, Gothic haldan, Old High German haltan (German halten)

Related forms
hold·a·ble, adjective

Synonyms
8. possess, own. See have. 9. See contain. 11. embrace, espouse, have. See maintain. 12. deem, esteem, judge. 19. persist, last, endure. 20. stick.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
hold1 (həʊld) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—vb (often foll by to or by) , holds, holding, held
1.  to have or keep (an object) with or within the hands, arms, etc; clasp
2.  (tr) to support or bear: to hold a drowning man's head above water
3.  to maintain or be maintained in a specified state or condition: to hold one's emotions in check; hold firm
4.  (tr) to set aside or reserve: they will hold our tickets until tomorrow
5.  (when intr, usually used in commands) to restrain or be restrained from motion, action, departure, etc: hold that man until the police come
6.  (intr) to remain fast or unbroken: that cable won't hold much longer
7.  (intr) (of the weather) to remain dry and bright: how long will the weather hold?
8.  (tr) to keep the attention of: her singing held the audience
9.  (tr) to engage in or carry on: to hold a meeting
10.  (tr) to have the ownership, possession, etc, of: he holds a law degree from London; who's holding the ace of spades?
11.  (tr) to have the use of or responsibility for: to hold the office of director
12.  (tr) to have the space or capacity for: the carton will hold only eight books
13.  (tr) to be able to control the outward effects of drinking beer, spirits, etc: he can hold his drink well
14.  to remain or cause to remain committed to: hold him to his promise; he held by his views in spite of opposition
15.  (tr; takes a clause as object) to claim: he holds that the theory is incorrect
16.  (intr) to remain relevant, valid, or true: the old philosophies don't hold nowadays
17.  (tr) to keep in the mind: to hold affection for someone
18.  (tr) to regard or consider in a specified manner: I hold him very dear
19.  (tr) to guard or defend successfully: hold the fort against the attack
20.  (intr) to continue to go: hold on one's way
21.  (sometimes foll by on) music to sustain the sound of (a note) throughout its specified duration: to hold on a semibreve for its full value
22.  (tr) computing Compare clear to retain (data) in a storage device after copying onto another storage device or onto another location in the same device
23.  (tr) to be in possession of illegal drugs
24.  hold for, hold good for to apply or be relevant to: the same rules hold for everyone
25.  (South African) holding thumbs holding the thumb of one hand with the other, in the hope of bringing good luck
26.  hold it!
 a.  stop! wait!
 b.  stay in the same position! as when being photographed
27.  hold one's head high to conduct oneself in a proud and confident manner
28.  hold one's own to maintain one's situation or position esp in spite of opposition or difficulty
29.  hold one's peace, hold one's tongue to keep silent
30.  hold water to prove credible, logical, or consistent
31.  there is no holding him he is so spirited or resolute that he cannot be restrained
 
—n
32.  the act or method of holding fast or grasping, as with the hands
33.  something to hold onto, as for support or control
34.  an object or device that holds fast or grips something else so as to hold it fast
35.  controlling force or influence: she has a hold on him
36.  a short delay or pause
37.  a prison or a cell in a prison
38.  wrestling a way of seizing one's opponent: a wrist hold
39.  music a pause or fermata
40.  a.  a tenure or holding, esp of land
 b.  (in combination): leasehold; freehold; copyhold
41.  a container
42.  archaic a fortified place
43.  get hold of
 a.  to obtain
 b.  to come into contact with
44.  no holds barred all limitations removed
45.  on hold in a state of temporary postponement or delay
 
[Old English healdan; related to Old Norse halla, Gothic haldan, German halten]
 
'holdable1
 
—adj

hold2 (həʊld) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
the space in a ship or aircraft for storing cargo
 
[C16: variant of hole]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

hold
O.E. haldan (Anglian), healdan (W.Saxon), class VII strong verb (past tense heold, pp. healden), from P.Gmc. *khaldanan (cf. O.N. halda, Du. houden, Ger. halten "to hold," Goth. haldan "to tend"), originally "to keep, tend, watch over" (as cattle), later "to have." Ancestral sense is preserved in behold.
Holdup, in sense of "a stoppage," is 1837 in Amer.Eng.; sense of "stopping by force and robbing" is 1851, also in Amer.Eng., probably strengthened by notion of "holding up hands." To hold (one's) own is from early 14c. No holds barred "with all restrictions removed" is first recorded 1942 in theater jargon but is ultimately from wrestling. Phrase hold your horses "be patient" is from 1844. Hold out (v.) is from 1907. The original pp. holden was replaced by held beginning 16c., but survives in some legal jargon and in beholden.

hold
"space in a ship below the lower deck, in which cargo is stowed," 15c. corruption (infl. by hold (v.)) of O.E. hol "hole," infl. by M.Du. hol "hold of a ship," and M.E. hul, which originally meant both "the hold" and "the hull" of a ship (see hull).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Slang Dictionary

hold definition


  1. tv. & in.
    to possess drugs. (Drugs.) : Gert was holding coke when she was arrested.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
Easton
Bible Dictionary

Hold definition


a fortress, the name given to David's lurking-places (1 Sam. 22:4, 5; 24:22).

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

hold up

  1. Offer or present as an example, as in The teacher held Bernie's essay up as a model for the class to follow. [c. 1600]

  2. Obstruct or delay, as in We were held up in traffic. [c. 1900]

  3. Rob, as in He was held up in a dark alley, with no help nearby. This usage, which gave rise to the noun holdup for a robbery, alludes to the robbers' demand that the victims hold their hands high. [Late 1800s]

  4. Also, hold out. Continue to function without losing force or effectiveness, endure. For example, We held up through that long bitter winter, or The nurse was able to hold out until someone could relieve her. [Late 1500s]

  5. See hold one's head high.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
Most of our cultural differences, it turns out, don't hold up in the lab.
Hold up the globe, and have a student volunteer pretend to be the sun.
The question would remain whether the clearance order would hold up as a
  binding contract in court.
The soldiers' fate appears unlikely, however, to hold up the cease-fire.
Idioms & Phrases
hold one's head high
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