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Entry 25 senses · 4 variants Webster, 1913

Hold

/(hōld)/ · IPA /hoʊld/
01 n. The whole interior portion of a vessel below the lower deck, in which the cargo is stowed.
  1. 1.
    The whole interior portion of a vessel below the lower deck, in which the cargo is stowed.(Naut.)
02 v. t. To cause to remain in a given situation, position, or relation, within certain limits, or the like; to prevent from falling or escaping; to…
imp. & p. p. Held; p. pr. & vb. n. Holding
  1. 1.
    To cause to remain in a given situation, position, or relation, within certain limits, or the like; to prevent from falling or escaping; to sustain; to restrain; to keep in the grasp; to retain.
    “The loops held one curtain to another.” — Ex. xxxvi. 12.
    “Thy right hand shall hold me.” — Ps. cxxxix. 10.
    “They all hold swords, being expert in war.” — Cant. iii. 8.
    “In vain he seeks, that having can not hold.” — Spenser.
    “France, thou mayst hold a serpent by the tongue, . . . A fasting tiger safer by the tooth, Than keep in peace that hand which thou dost hold.” — Shak.
  2. 2.
    To retain in one's keeping; to maintain possession of, or authority over; not to give up or relinquish; to keep; to defend.
    “We mean to hold what anciently we claim Of deity or empire.” — Milton.
  3. 3.
    To have; to possess; to be in possession of; to occupy; to derive title to; as, to hold office.
    “This noble merchant held a noble house.” — Chaucer.
    “Of him to hold his seigniory for a yearly tribute.” — Knolles.
    “And now the strand, and now the plain, they held.” — Dryden.
  4. 4.
    To impose restraint upon; to limit in motion or action; to bind legally or morally; to confine; to restrain.
    “We can not hold mortality's strong hand.” — Shak.
    “Death! what do'st? O, hold thy blow.” — Grashaw.
    “He had not sufficient judgment and self-command to hold his tongue.” — Macaulay.
  5. 5.
    To maintain in being or action; to carry on; to prosecute, as a course of conduct or an argument; to continue; to sustain.
    “Hold not thy peace, and be not still.” — Ps. lxxxiii. 1.
    “Seedtime and harvest, heat and hoary frost, Shall hold their course.” — Milton.
  6. 6.
    To prosecute, have, take, or join in, as something which is the result of united action; as to, hold a meeting, a festival, a session, etc.; hence, to direct and bring about officially; to conduct or preside at; as, the general held a council of war; a judge holds a court; a clergyman holds a service.
    “I would hold more talk with thee.” — Shak.
  7. 7.
    To receive and retain; to contain as a vessel; as, this pail holds milk; hence, to be able to receive and retain; to have capacity or containing power for.
    “Broken cisterns that can hold no water.” — Jer. ii. 13.
    “One sees more devils than vast hell can hold.” — Shak.
  8. 8.
    To accept, as an opinion; to be the adherent of, openly or privately; to persist in, as a purpose; to maintain; to sustain.
    “Stand fast and hold the traditions which ye have been taught.” — 2 Thes. ii.15.
    “But still he held his purpose to depart.” — Dryden.
  9. 9.
    To consider; to regard; to esteem; to account; to think; to judge.
    “I hold him but a fool.” — Shak.
    “I shall never hold that man my friend.” — Shak.
    “The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” — Ex. xx. 7.
  10. 10.
    To bear, carry, or manage; as he holds himself erect; he holds his head high.
    “Let him hold his fingers thus.” — Shak.
    “O, fie! to receive favors, return falsehoods, And hold a lady in hand.” — Beaw. & Fl.
03 v. i. In general, to keep one's self in a given position or condition; to remain fixed. Hence:
  1. 1.
    In general, to keep one's self in a given position or condition; to remain fixed. Hence:
  2. 2.
    Not to move; to halt; to stop; -- mostly in the imperative.
    “And damned be him that first cries, “Hold, enough!”” — Shak.
  3. 3.
    Not to give way; not to part or become separated; to remain unbroken or unsubdued.
    “Our force by land hath nobly held.” — Shak.
  4. 4.
    Not to fail or be found wanting; to continue; to last; to endure a test or trial; to abide; to persist.
    “While our obedience holds.” — Milton.
    “The rule holds in land as all other commodities.” — Locke.
  5. 5.
    Not to fall away, desert, or prove recreant; to remain attached; to cleave; -- often with with, to, or for.
    “He will hold to the one and despise the other.” — Matt. vi. 24
  6. 6.
    To restrain one's self; to refrain.
    “His dauntless heart would fain have held From weeping, but his eyes rebelled.” — Dryden.
  7. 7.
    To derive right or title; -- generally with of.
    “My crown is absolute, and holds of none.” — Dryden.
    “His imagination holds immediately from nature.” — Hazlitt.
Phrases & compounds
Hold on! — wait; stop; forbear.
To hold forth — to speak in public; to harangue; to preach.
To hold in — to restrain one's self; as, he wanted to laugh and could hardly hold in.
To hold off — to keep at a distance.
To hold on — to keep fast hold; to continue; to go on.
To hold out — to last; to endure; to continue; to maintain one's self; not to yield or give way.
To hold over — to remain in office, possession, etc., beyond a certain date.
To hold to — to take sides with, as a person or opinion.
To hold together — to be joined; not to separate; to remain in union.
To hold up — To support one's self; to remain unbent or unbroken; as, to hold up under misfortunes.
04 n. The act of holding, as in or with the hands or arms; the manner of holding, whether firm or loose; seizure; grasp; clasp; grip; possession;…
  1. 1.
    The act of holding, as in or with the hands or arms; the manner of holding, whether firm or loose; seizure; grasp; clasp; grip; possession; -- often used with the verbs take and lay.
    “Ne have I not twelve pence within mine hold.” — Chaucer.
    “Thou should'st lay hold upon him.” — B. Jonson.
    “My soul took hold on thee.” — Addison.
    “Take fast hold of instruction.” — Pror. iv. 13.
  2. 2.
    The authority or ground to take or keep; claim.
    “The law hath yet another hold on you.” — Shak.
  3. 3.
    Binding power and influence.
    “Fear . . . by which God and his laws take the surest hold of.” — Tillotson.
  4. 4.
    Something that may be grasped; means of support.
    “If a man be upon an high place without rails or good hold, he is ready to fall.” — Bacon.
  5. 5.
    A place of confinement; a prison; confinement; custody; guard.
    “They . . . put them in hold unto the next day.” — Acts. iv. 3.
    “King Richard, he is in the mighty hold Of Bolingbroke.” — Shak.
  6. 6.
    A place of security; a fortified place; a fort; a castle; -- often called a stronghold. Also: stronghold
    “New comers in an ancient hold” — Tennyson.
  7. 7.
    A character [thus �] placed over or under a note or rest, and indicating that it is to be prolonged; -- called also pause, and corona.(Mus.) Also: pause, corona