8 definitions found From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]: hold noun 1: 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" [syn: {clasp}, {clench}, {clutch}, {clutches}, {grasp}, {grip}] 2: understanding of the nature or meaning or quality or magnitude of something; "he has a good grasp of accounting practices" [syn: {appreciation}, {grasp}] 3: power by which something or someone is affected or dominated; "he has a hold over them" 4: time during which some action is awaited; "instant replay caused too long a delay"; "he ordered a hold in the action" [syn: {delay}, {time lag}, {postponement}, {wait}] 5: a state of being confined (usually for a short time); "his detention was politically motivated"; "the prisoner is on hold"; "he is in the custody of police" [syn: {detention}, {custody}] 6: a stronghold 7: a cell in a jail or prison [syn: {keep}] 8: the appendage to an object that is designed to be held in order to use or move it; "he grabbed the hammer by the handle"; "it was an old briefcase but it still had a good grip" [syn: {handle}, {grip}, {handgrip}] 9: the space in a ship or aircraft for storing cargo [syn: {cargo area}, {cargo deck}, {cargo hold}, {storage area}] verb 1: organize or be responsible for; "hold a reception"; "have, throw, or make a party"; "give a course" [syn: {throw}, {have}, {make}, {give}] 2: keep in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., "keep clean"; "hold in place"; "She always held herself as a lady"; "The students keep me on my toes" [syn: {keep}, {maintain}] 3: have or hold in one's hands or grip; "Hold this bowl for a moment, please"; "A crazy idea took hold of him" [syn: {take hold}] [ant: {let go of}] 4: to close within bounds, limit or hold back from movement; "This holds the local until the express passengers change trains"; "About a dozen animals were held inside the stockade"; "The illegal immigrants were held at a detention center"; "The terrorists held the journalists for ransom" [syn: {restrain}, {confine}] 5: have rightfully; of rights, titles, and offices; "She bears the title of Duchess"; "He held the governorship for almost a decade" [syn: {bear}] 6: have or possess, either in a concrete or an abstract sense; "She has $1,000 in the bank"; "He has got two beautiful daughters"; "She holds a Master's degree from Harvard" [syn: {have}, {have got}] 7: keep in mind or convey as a conviction or view; "take for granted"; "view as important"; "hold these truths to be self-evident"; "I hold him personally responsible" [syn: {deem}, {view as}, {take for}] 8: contain or hold; have within; "The jar carries wine"; "The canteen holds fresh water"; "This can contains water" [syn: {bear}, {carry}, {contain}] 9: 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" [syn: {control}, {hold in}, {contain}, {check}, {curb}, {moderate}] 10: remain in a certain state, position, or condition; "The weather held"; "They held on the road and kept marching" 11: maintain (a theory, thoughts, or feelings); "bear a grudge"; "entertain interesting notions"; "harbor a resentment" [syn: {harbor}, {harbour}, {entertain}, {nurse}] 12: assert or affirm; "Rousseau's philosophy holds that people are inherently good" 13: remain committed to; "I hold to these ideas" 14: secure and keep for possible future use or application; "The landlord retained the security deposit"; "I reserve the right to disagree" [syn: {retain}, {keep back}, {hold back}] 15: be the physical support of; carry the weight of; "The beam holds up the roof"; "He supported me with one hand while I balanced on the beam"; "What's holding that mirror?" [syn: {support}, {sustain}, {hold up}] 16: hold the attention of; "The soprano held the audience"; "This story held our interest"; "She can hold an audience spellbound" 17: keep from exhaling or expelling; "hold your breath" 18: support or hold in a certain manner; "She holds her head high"; "He carried himself upright" [syn: {carry}, {bear}] 19: have room for; hold without crowding; "This hotel can accommodate 250 guests"; "The theater admits 300 people"; "The auditorium can't hold more than 500 people" [syn: {accommodate}, {admit}] 20: be capable of holding or containing; "This box won't take all the items"; "The flask holds one gallon" [syn: {contain}, {take}] 21: be valid, applicable, or true; "This theory still holds" [syn: {prevail}, {obtain}] 22: take and maintain control over, often by violent means; "The dissatisfied students held the President's office for almost a week" 23: protect against a challenge or attack; "Hold that position behind the trees!"; "Hold the bridge against the enemy's attacks" [syn: {defend}, {guard}] 24: declare to be; "She was declared incompetent"; "judge held that the defendant was innocent" [syn: {declare}, {adjudge}] 25: have as a major characteristic; "The novel holds many surprises"; "The book holds in store much valuable advise" 26: cause to stop; "Halt the engines"; "Arrest the progress"; "halt the presses" [syn: {halt}, {arrest}] 27: bind by an obligation; cause to be indebted; "He's held by a contract"; "I'll hold you by your promise" [syn: {oblige}, {bind}, {obligate}] 28: cover as for protection against noise or smell; "She held her ears when the jackhammer started to operate"; "hold one's nose" 29: drink alcohol without showing ill effects; "He can hold his liquor"; "he had drunk more than he could carry" [syn: {carry}] 30: be pertinent or relevant or applicable; "The same laws apply to you!"; "This theory holds for all irrational numbers"; "The same rules go for everyone" [syn: {apply}, {go for}] 31: arrange for and reserve (something for someone else) in advance; "reserve me a seat on a flight"; "The agent booked tickets to the show for the whole family"; "please hold a table at Maxim's" [syn: {reserve}, {book}] 32: resist or confront with resistance; "The politician defied public opinion"; "The new material withstands even the greatest wear and tear"; "The bridge held" [syn: {defy}, {withstand}, {hold up}] 33: keep from departing; "Hold the taxi"; "Hold the horse" 34: stop dealing with; "hold all calls to the President's office while he is in a meeting" 35: aim, point, or direct; "Hold the fire extinguisher directly on the flames" 36: be in accord; be in agreement; "We agreed on the terms of the settlement"; "I can't agree with you!"; "I hold with those who say life is sacred"; "Both philosophers concord on this point" [syn: {agree}, {concur}, {concord}] [ant: {disagree}] [also: {held}] From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]: Hold \Hold\ (h[=o]ld), noun [D. hol hole, hollow. See {Hole}.] (Naut.) The whole interior portion of a vessel below the lower deck, in which the cargo is stowed. From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]: Hold \Hold\, verb (used with an object) [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. h[*a]lla, 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. --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. 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 had 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. --Ps. lxxxiii. 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. --Jer. ii. 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 Thes. ii.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. --Ex. xx. 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}, (a) verb (used with an object)to offer; to exhibit; to propose; to put forward. ''The propositions which books hold forth and pretend to teach.'' --Locke. (b) verb (used without an object) 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.] 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. From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]: Hold \Hold\ (h[=o]ld), noun 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. 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. iv. 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.) A character [thus ?] placed over or under a note or rest, and indicating that it is to be prolonged; -- called also {pause}, and {corona}. From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]: Hold \Hold\, verb (used without an object) In general, to keep one's self in a given position or condition; to remain fixed. Hence: 1. Not to move; to halt; to stop; -- mostly in the imperative. And damned be him that first cries, ''Hold, enough!'' --Shak. 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. --Matt. vi. 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 {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. From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]: Corona \Co*ro"na\ (k?-r?"n?), noun; pl. L. {Coron[ae]} (-n?), E. {Coronas} (-n?z). [L. corona crown. See {Crown}.] 1. A crown or garland bestowed among the Romans as a reward