hold
Cross references:
1. contain 2. have
1. hold \'ho-ld\ \'held\ vb or held; or hold.ing [ME holden, fr. OE
healdan; akin to OHG haltan to hold, L ]celer rapid 1a: to maintain
possession of : POSSESS 1b: to retain by force 1c: to keep control of or
authority over 1d: to keep as a threat or means of coercion 2: to impose
restraint upon : as 2a: to refrain from producing 2b1: to keep back 2b2:
STAY, ARREST 2b3: DELAY 2b4: to stop the action of temporarily 2c: to
keep from advancing or succeeding in attack 2d: to restrict or limit by
acting to control or oppose 2e: to bind legally or morally : CONSTRAIN
2f: to tense muscles in order to brace (oneself) 3a: to have or keep in
the grasp 3b: to cause to be or remain in a particular situation,
position, or relat ion {~ a ladder steady} 3c: SUPPORT, SUSTAIN 3d: to
keep in custody 3e: to have in one's keeping : STORE, RESERVE {~ a r oom}
4: BEAR, CARRY, COMPORT {the soldierly way he ~(Xs himself} 5a: to maintain
in being or action : keep up without interruption, dimin ution, or flagging
{~ silence} 5b: to keep the uninterrupted interest, attention, or devotion
of 6a: to receive and retain : CONTAIN, ACCOMMODATE 6b: to have in
reserve {what the future ~s} 7a: HARBOR, ENTERTAIN {~ a theory} 7b:
CONSIDER, REGARD, JUDGE {truths held to be s elf-evident} 7c: ESTEEM, VALUE
8a: to engage in with someone else or with others : do by concerted acti
on {~ a conversation} 8b: CONVOKE, CONVENE {~ a meeting of the council}
9a: to have earned or been appointed, promoted, or elected to and now occu
py (as an office) {~s a captaincy in the navy} 9b: to have earned or been
awarded {~s a Ph.d.} 10: to handle so as to guide or manage (as reins or a
gun) 1a: to maintain position : not retreat 1b1: to continue in the same
way or state : LAST {hopes the weat her will ~} 1b2: to endure a test or
trial {if his interest ~s up} 2: to maintain a grasp on something : remain
fastened to something {th e anchor held in the rough sea} 3: to derive
right or title 4: to bear or carry oneself {asked him to ~ still} 5: to
be or remain valid : APPLY {the rule ~s in mos t cases} 6: to go ahead as
one has been going {held south for several miles } 7: to forbear an
intended or threatened action : HALT, PAUSE : to qualify for comparison
with : to preach or harangue at length : to prove at least equal to
opposition 1: to be left empty-handed 2: to bear alone a responsibility
that should have been shared by others : to stand up under criticism or
analysis : to agree with or approve of - hold a candle to
2. hold n 1: STRONGHOLD 2a: CONFINEMENT, CUSTODY 2b: PRISON 3a1: the act
or the manner of holding or grasping : GRIP 3a2: a manner of grasping an
opponent in wrestling 3b: a nonphysical bond that attaches, restrains, or
constrains or by which something is affected, controlled, or dominated 3c:
full comprehension 4: something that may be grasped as a support 5a:
FERMATA 5b: the time between the onset and the release of a vocal
articulation 6: a sudden motionless posture at the end of a dance 7: an
order or indication that something is to be reserved or delayed
3. hold n [alter. of hole] 1: the interior of a ship below decks; esp : the
cargo deck of a sh ip 2: the cargo compartment of a plane
Webster's English Dictionary