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[ UK /hˈə‍ʊld/ ]
[ US /ˈhoʊɫd/ ]
VERB
  1. bind by an obligation; cause to be indebted
    He's held by a contract
    I'll hold you by your promise
  2. have rightfully; of rights, titles, and offices
    She bears the title of Duchess
    He held the governorship for almost a decade
  3. be pertinent or relevant or applicable
    This theory holds for all irrational numbers
    The same rules go for everyone
    The same laws apply to you!
  4. hold the attention of
    This story held our interest
    She can hold an audience spellbound
    The soprano held the audience
  5. be valid, applicable, or true
    This theory still holds
  6. remain committed to
    I hold to these ideas
  7. keep from exhaling or expelling
    hold your breath
  8. take and maintain control over, often by violent means
    The dissatisfied students held the President's office for almost a week
  9. keep from departing
    Hold the horse
    Hold the taxi
  10. drink alcohol without showing ill effects
    He can hold his liquor
    he had drunk more than he could carry
  11. be the physical support of; carry the weight of
    He supported me with one hand while I balanced on the beam
    What's holding that mirror?
    The beam holds up the roof
  12. keep in mind or convey as a conviction or view
    hold these truths to be self-evident
    take for granted
    I hold him personally responsible
    view as important
  13. remain in a certain state, position, or condition
    The weather held
    They held on the road and kept marching
  14. have as a major characteristic
    The novel holds many surprises
    The book holds in store much valuable advise
  15. cause to stop
    halt the presses
    Halt the engines
    Arrest the progress
  16. resist or confront with resistance
    The bridge held
    The politician defied public opinion
    The new material withstands even the greatest wear and tear
  17. cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., `keep clean'
    She always held herself as a lady
    The students keep me on my toes
    hold in place
  18. have room for; hold without crowding
    The auditorium can't hold more than 500 people
    This hotel can accommodate 250 guests
    The theater admits 300 people
  19. lessen the intensity of; temper; hold in restraint; hold or keep within limits
    moderate your alcohol intake
    hold your tongue
    hold your temper
    control your anger
  20. have or hold in one's hands or grip
    A crazy idea took hold of him
    Hold this bowl for a moment, please
  21. have or possess, either in a concrete or an abstract sense
    He has got two beautiful daughters
    She holds a Master's degree from Harvard
    She has $1,000 in the bank
  22. cover as for protection against noise or smell
    hold one's nose
    She held her ears when the jackhammer started to operate
  23. organize or be responsible for
    have, throw, or make a party
    hold a reception
    give a course
  24. aim, point, or direct
    Hold the fire extinguisher directly on the flames
  25. stop dealing with
    hold all calls to the President's office while he is in a meeting
  26. assert or affirm
    Rousseau's philosophy holds that people are inherently good
  27. support or hold in a certain manner
    She holds her head high
    He carried himself upright
  28. protect against a challenge or attack
    Hold the bridge against the enemy's attacks
    Hold that position behind the trees!
  29. contain or hold; have within
    This can contains water
    The canteen holds fresh water
    The jar carries wine
  30. arrange for and reserve (something for someone else) in advance
    The agent booked tickets to the show for the whole family
    please hold a table at Maxim's
    reserve me a seat on a flight
  31. to close within bounds, or otherwise limit or deprive of free movement
    This holds the local until the express passengers change trains
    The terrorists held the journalists for ransom
    The illegal immigrants were held at a detention center
    About a dozen animals were held inside the stockade
  32. secure and keep for possible future use or application
    The landlord retained the security deposit
    I reserve the right to disagree
  33. declare to be
    judge held that the defendant was innocent
    She was declared incompetent
  34. maintain (a theory, thoughts, or feelings)
    entertain interesting notions
    harbor a resentment
    bear a grudge
  35. be in accord; be in agreement
    We agreed on the terms of the settlement
    I hold with those who say life is sacred
    I can't agree with you!
    Both philosophers concord on this point
  36. be capable of holding or containing
    This box won't take all the items
    The flask holds one gallon
NOUN
  1. the space in a ship or aircraft for storing cargo
  2. a state of being confined (usually for a short time)
    he is in the custody of police
    his detention was politically motivated
    the prisoner is on hold
  3. a cell in a jail or prison
  4. time during which some action is awaited
    instant replay caused too long a delay
    he ordered a hold in the action
  5. the appendage to an object that is designed to be held in order to use or move it
    it was an old briefcase but it still had a good grip
    he grabbed the hammer by the handle
  6. understanding of the nature or meaning or quality or magnitude of something
    he has a good grasp of accounting practices
  7. power by which something or someone is affected or dominated
    he has a hold over them
  8. a stronghold
  9. the act of grasping
    he released his clasp on my arm
    he has a strong grip for an old man
    she kept a firm hold on the railing

How To Use hold In A Sentence

  • When the new foods that came from the Americas - peppers, summer squash and especially tomatoes - took hold in the region, a number of closely related dishes were born, including what we call ratatouille - and a man from La Mancha calls pisto, an Ikarian Greek calls soufiko and a Turk calls turlu. NYT > Home Page
  • If there was any hope of holding on to even a shred of her dwindling self-respect, she should do exactly what she knew Margo would do—close the laptop, take her de-scrunchied, perfumed, and nearly thonged self down to the nearest club, pick up the first passably good-looking stranger who asked her to dance, and bring him back to the apartment for some safe but anonymous sex. Goodnight Tweetheart
  • On land, giant reservoirs holding saline water could be built to offset the rise in sea levels caused by the melting of the polar ice-caps.
  • Can you tell me what the major league record is for most consecutive batters retired by a pitcher and who holds it?
  • He argues that the two main parties are no longer capable of holding together the divergent views within them. Times, Sunday Times
  • The pictures show squares within squares - the water-holding depressions that in ancient times made the gardens fruitful.
  • I blame it all on becca who called me in the middle of the night to talk to me all about how the two best friends names are Kate and Becca and that the main character lives in apartment 601 as my address and other kooky details that i have been trying to forget nightly since i saw that movie, And then every sound is that kid coming out of the television and im only writing about it now in order to expunge as i fear she will grab hold of my foot from under the desk and eat me or turn me into something decomposing or whatever it is she does. I-claudius Diary Entry
  • He appealed to all householders to continually check their security arrangements.
  • · “Adult family member” is defined as “a person over 21 years of age who is the parent, grandparent, step-parent living in the household, or legal guardian” of the pregnant teen. Archive 2009-07-01
  • The ICR would have the authority to annul laws or dismiss public officials to uphold the Kosovo settlement.
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