v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Held p. pr. & vb. n. Holding. Holden p. p., is obs. in elegant writing, though still used in legal language. ] [ OE. haldan, D. houden, OHG. hoten, Icel. halda, Dan. holde, Sw. hålla, Goth. haldan to feed, tend (the cattle); of unknown origin. Gf. Avast, Halt, Hod. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

The loops held one curtain to another. Ex. xxxvi. 12. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thy right hand shall hold me. Ps. cxxxix. 10. [ 1913 Webster ]

They all hold swords, being expert in war. Cant. iii. 8. [ 1913 Webster ]

In vain he seeks, that having can not hold. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To retain in one's keeping; to maintain possession of, or authority over; not to give up or relinquish; to keep; to defend. [ 1913 Webster ]

We mean to hold what anciently we claim
Of deity or empire. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To have; to possess; to be in possession of; to occupy; to derive title to; as, to hold office. [ 1913 Webster ]

This noble merchant held a noble house. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Of him to hold his seigniory for a yearly tribute. Knolles. [ 1913 Webster ]

And now the strand, and now the plain, they held. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To impose restraint upon; to limit in motion or action; to bind legally or morally; to confine; to restrain. [ 1913 Webster ]

We can not hold mortality's strong hand. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Death! what do'st? O, hold thy blow. Grashaw. [ 1913 Webster ]

He had not sufficient judgment and self-command to hold his tongue. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To maintain in being or action; to carry on; to prosecute, as a course of conduct or an argument; to continue; to sustain. [ 1913 Webster ]

Hold not thy peace, and be not still. Ps. lxxxiii. 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

Seedtime and harvest, heat and hoary frost,
Shall hold their course. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

I would hold more talk with thee. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Broken cisterns that can hold no water. Jer. ii. 13. [ 1913 Webster ]

One sees more devils than vast hell can hold. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. To accept, as an opinion; to be the adherent of, openly or privately; to persist in, as a purpose; to maintain; to sustain. [ 1913 Webster ]

Stand fast and hold the traditions which ye have been taught. 2 Thes. ii.15. [ 1913 Webster ]

But still he held his purpose to depart. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. To consider; to regard; to esteem; to account; to think; to judge. [ 1913 Webster ]

I hold him but a fool. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

I shall never hold that man my friend. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Ex. xx. 7. [ 1913 Webster ]

10. To bear, carry, or manage; as he holds himself erect; he holds his head high. [ 1913 Webster ]

Let him hold his fingers thus. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

To hold a wager, to lay or hazard a wager. Swift. --
To hold forth, (a) v. t.to offer; to exhibit; to propose; to put forward. “The propositions which books hold forth and pretend to teach.” Locke. (b) v. i. To talk at length; to harangue. --
To held in, to restrain; to curd. --
To hold in hand, to toy with; to keep in expectation; to have in one's power. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ] O, fie! to receive favors, return falsehoods,
And hold a lady in hand. Beaw. & Fl. --
To hold in play, to keep under control; to dally with. Macaulay. --
To hold off, to keep at a distance. --
To hold on, to hold in being, continuance or position; as, to hold a rider on. --
To hold one's day, to keep one's appointment. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. --
To hold one's own. To keep good one's present condition absolutely or relatively; not to fall off, or to lose ground; as, a ship holds her own when she does not lose ground in a race or chase; a man holds his own when he does not lose strength or weight. --
To hold one's peace, to keep silence.-
To hold out. (a) To extend; to offer. “Fortune holds out these to you as rewards.” B. Jonson. (b) To continue to do or to suffer; to endure. “He can not long hold out these pangs.” Shak. --
To hold up. (a) To raise; to lift; as, hold up your head. (b) To support; to sustain. “He holds himself up in virtue.”Sir P. Sidney. (c) To exhibit; to display; as, he was held up as an example. (d) To rein in; to check; to halt; as, hold up your horses. (e) to rob, usually at gunpoint; -- often with the demand to “hold up” the hands. (f) To delay. --
To hold water. (a) Literally, to retain water without leaking; hence (Fig.), to be whole, sound, consistent, without gaps or holes; -- commonly used in a negative sense; as, his statements will not hold water. [ Colloq. ] (b) (Naut.) To hold the oars steady in the water, thus checking the headway of a boat. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ne have I not twelve pence within mine hold. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thou should'st lay hold upon him. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

My soul took hold on thee. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

Take fast hold of instruction. Pror. iv. 13. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The authority or ground to take or keep; claim. [ 1913 Webster ]

The law hath yet another hold on you. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Binding power and influence. [ 1913 Webster ]

Fear . . . by which God and his laws take the surest hold of. Tillotson. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Something that may be grasped; means of support. [ 1913 Webster ]

If a man be upon an high place without rails or good hold, he is ready to fall. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A place of confinement; a prison; confinement; custody; guard. [ 1913 Webster ]

They . . . put them in hold unto the next day. Acts. iv. 3. [ 1913 Webster ]

King Richard, he is in the mighty hold
Of Bolingbroke. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. A place of security; a fortified place; a fort; a castle; -- often called a stronghold. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

New comers in an ancient hold Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. (Mus.) A character [ thus &unr_; ] placed over or under a note or rest, and indicating that it is to be prolonged; -- called also pause, and corona. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ D. hol hole, hollow. See Hole. ] (Naut.) The whole interior portion of a vessel below the lower deck, in which the cargo is stowed. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. In general, to keep one's self in a given position or condition; to remain fixed. Hence: [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Not to move; to halt; to stop; -- mostly in the imperative. [ 1913 Webster ]

And damned be him that first cries, “Hold, enough!” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Not to give way; not to part or become separated; to remain unbroken or unsubdued. [ 1913 Webster ]

Our force by land hath nobly held. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Not to fail or be found wanting; to continue; to last; to endure a test or trial; to abide; to persist. [ 1913 Webster ]

While our obedience holds. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

The rule holds in land as all other commodities. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Not to fall away, desert, or prove recreant; to remain attached; to cleave; -- often with with, to, or for. [ 1913 Webster ]

He will hold to the one and despise the other. Matt. vi. 24 [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To restrain one's self; to refrain. [ 1913 Webster ]

His dauntless heart would fain have held
From weeping, but his eyes rebelled. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. To derive right or title; -- generally with of. [ 1913 Webster ]

My crown is absolute, and holds of none. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

His imagination holds immediately from nature. Hazlitt. [ 1913 Webster ]

Hold on!
Hold up! wait; stop; forbear. [ Collog ] --
To hold forth, to speak in public; to harangue; to preach. L'Estrange. --
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. “The trade held on for many years, ” Swift. --
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 or
To hold with, to take sides with, as a person or opinion. --
To hold together, to be joined; not to separate; to remain in union. Dryden. Locke. --
To hold up. (a) To support one's self; to remain unbent or unbroken; as, to hold up under misfortunes. (b) To cease raining; to cease to stop; as, it holds up. Hudibras. (c) To keep up; not to fall behind; not to lose ground. Collier. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a capacious bag or basket.
Syn. -- carryall, tote, tote bag. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. Check; hindrance; restraint; obstacle. [ 1913 Webster ]

The only holdback is the affection . . . that we bear to our wealth. Hammond. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The projection or loop on the thill of a vehicle. to which a strap of the harness is attached, to hold back a carriage when going down hill, or in backing; also, the strap or part of the harness so used. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who, or that which, holds. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who holds land, etc., under another; a tenant. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Com.) The payee of a bill of exchange or a promissory note, or the one who owns or holds it. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Holder is much used as the second part of a compound; as, shareholder, officeholder, stockholder, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>n. One who is employed in the hold of a vessel. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who speaks in public; an haranguer; a preacher. See hold forth (b) under hold. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Something used to secure and hold in place something else, as a long flat-headed nail, a catch a hook, a clinch, a clamp, etc.; hence, a support. “His holdfast was gone.” Bp. Montagu. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Bot.) A conical or branching body, by which a seaweed is attached to its support, and differing from a root in that it is not specially absorbent of moisture. [ 1913 Webster ]