GNU Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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Found 2 definitions

  1.       
    Held (?), imp. & p. p. of Hold.

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  2.       
    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.] [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.]

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    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.

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    The loops held one curtain to another. Ex. xxxvi. 12.

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    Thy right hand shall hold me. Ps. cxxxix. 10.

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    They all hold swords, being expert in war. Cant. iii. 8.

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    In vain he seeks, that having can not hold. Spenser.

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    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.

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

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    We mean to hold what anciently we claim

    Of deity or empire. Milton.

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    3. To have; to possess; to be in possession of; to occupy; to derive title to; as, “to hold office”.

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    This noble merchant held a noble house. Chaucer.

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    Of him to hold his seigniory for a yearly tribute. Knolles.

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    And now the strand, and now the plain, they held. Dryden.

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

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    We can not hold mortality's strong hand. Shak.

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    Death! what do'st? O, hold thy blow. Grashaw.

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    He had not sufficient judgment and self-command to hold his tongue. Macaulay.

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

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    Hold not thy peace, and be not still. Ps. lxxxiii. 1.

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    Seedtime and harvest, heat and hoary frost,

    Shall hold their course. Milton.

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    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.”

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    I would hold more talk with thee. Shak.

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    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.

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    Broken cisterns that can hold no water. Jer. ii. 13.

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    One sees more devils than vast hell can hold. Shak.

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

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

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    But still he held his purpose to depart. Dryden.

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    9. To consider; to regard; to esteem; to account; to think; to judge.

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    I hold him but a fool. Shak.

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    I shall never hold that man my friend. Shak.

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

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    10. To bear, carry, or manage; “holds himself erect; he holds his head high.”

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    Let him hold his fingers thus. Shak.

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    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.]

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    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.

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