Category:Hold

Hold, n. Etym: [D. hol hole, hollow. See Hole.] (Naut.)

Defn: The whole interior portion of a vessel below the lower deck, in which the cargo is stowed.

hold Hold, 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.] Etym: [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.]

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. Exodus 36:12. Thy right hand shall hold me. Psalm 138:10. They all hold swords, being expert in war. Song of Songs 3. 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. 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. 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. 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 hat not sufficient judgment and self-command to hold his tongue. Macaulay.

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. Psalm 83:1. Seedtime and harvest, heat and hoary frost, Shall hold their course. Milton.

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. 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. Jeremiah 2:13. One sees more devils than vast hell can hold. Shak.

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 Thessalonians 2:15. But still he held his purpose to depart. Dryden.

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. Exodus 20:7.

10. To bear, carry, or manage; as he holds himself erect; he holds his head high. Let him hold his fingers thus. Shak. To hold a wager, to lay or hazard a wager. Swift. -- To hold forth, to offer; to exhibit; to propose; to put forward. "The propositions which books hold forth and pretend to teach." Locke. -- 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.] 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. (a) 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. -- 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. [Collog.] (b) (Naut.) To hold the oars steady in the water, thus checking the headway of a boat.

hold Hold, n. i.

Defn: In general, to keep one's self in a given position or condition; to remain fixed. Hence:

1. Not to more; to halt; to stop;-mostly in the imperative. Hold it right there! Go no further.

2. Not to give way; not to part or become separated; to remain unbroken or unsubdued. Our force by land hath nobly held. Shak.

3. 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.

4. 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. Matthew 6:24

5. To restrain one's self; to refrain. His dauntless heart would fain have held From weeping, but his eyes rebelled. Dryden.

6. To derive right or title; -- generally with of. My crown is absolute, and holds of none. Dryden. His imagination holds immediately from nature. Hazlitt. 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 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.

hold Hold, 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; gripe; 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. Proverbs 4:13.

2. The authority or ground to take or keep; claim. The law hath yet another hold on you. Shak.

3. Binding power and influence. Fear. . . by which God and his laws take the surest hold of. Tillotson.

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. A place of confinement; a prison; confinement; custody; guard. They. . . put them in hold unto the next day. Acts 4:3. King Richard, he is in the mighty hold Of Bolingbroke. Shak.

6. A place of security; a fortified place; a fort; a castle; -- often called a stronghold. Chaucer. New comers in an ancient hold Tennyson.

7. (Mus.)

Defn: A character [thus pause, and corona.

---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Hold - A fortress, the name given to David's lurking-places (1 Samuel 22:4, 1 Samuel 22:5; 1 Samuel 24:22).