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, esp. by telephone: If she's not at home, try to get hold of her at the office.
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: bef. 900; ME holden, OE h(e)aldan; c. OFris, ON halda, OS, Goth haldan, OHG haltan (G 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.
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
Word Origin & History
hold (n.)
"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).
Main Entry: hold Function: transitive verb Inflected Forms: held; hold·ing 1 a: to have lawful possession or ownership of <held the property as tenants in common> holds the title to the car> b: to have as a privilege or position of responsibility <holding a retail liquor license> hold their offices during good behavior —U.S. Constitution article III> 2: to restrain the liberty of; specifically: to keep in custody held without bail> 3: to cause to be conducted hold a hearing on the matter> 4: to rule as the holding of a case held that such conduct violated the statute> —compare DECIDE, FIND
In a state of temporary interruption, but not disconnection, during a telephone call, as in While I was on hold, I checked my calendar for when I could schedule a meeting, or They had to put me on hold while they looked up my account. [c. 1960]
In a state of postponement or delay, as in When she was transferred, they had to put their romance on hold. This figurative usage is a broadened sense of def. 1. [Colloquial; c. 1970]
[hohld] 
verb, held; held or (Archaic
) hold⋅en; hold⋅ing; noun