From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishholdhold1 /həʊld $ hoʊld/ ●●● S1 W1 verb (past tense and past participle held /held/) 1 
in your hand/arms a) [transitive]HOLD to have something in your hand, hands, or arms Could you hold my bag for me?hold something in your hand/arms He was holding a knife in one hand. I held the baby in my arms.hold hands (=hold each other’s hands) They sat holding hands under a tree.hold somebody close/tightly (=with your arms around someone) Max held her close and wiped away her tears. b) [transitive always + adverb/preposition]MOVE something OR somebody to move your hand or something in your hand in a particular directionhold something out/up etc He held out his hand to help her to her feet. Hold the picture up so we can see it.2 event [transitive] to have a meeting, party, election etc in a particular place or at a particular time This year’s conference will be held at the Hilton Hotel. A thanksgiving ceremony was held to mark the occasion. The funeral was held on a grey day in November. In April, the president held talks with Chinese leaders.3 keep something in position [transitive] to make something stay in a particular positionhold something open/up etc We used rolled-up newspapers to hold the windows open. Remember to hold your head up and keep your back straight.hold something in place/position A couple of screws should hold it in place. Lift your head off the floor and hold this position for five seconds.4 job/titleJOB/WORK [transitive] a) to have a particular job or position, especially an important one Do you really think he’s capable of holding such a responsible position?hold the post/position/office etc (of something) She was the first woman to hold the office of Australian state premier. The governor had held the post since 1989. Whoever is elected will hold office (=have an important political position) for four years. b) to have a particular title or record, because you have won a competition, are the best at something etc The programme still holds the record for the longest running TV series. The last Briton to hold the title was Bert Nicholson.5 keep/store [transitive] to keep something to be used when it is needed Further copies of the book are held in the library. Weapons were held at various sites. 6 keep something available for somebody [transitive] to agree not to give something such as a ticket, a place at a restaurant, a job etc to anyone except a particular person We can hold the reservation for you until next Friday.hold something open You can’t expect them to hold the job open for much longer – you’ll have to decide whether you want it or not.7 keep somebody somewhere [transitive] to keep someone somewhere, and not allow them to leave Police are holding two men in connection with the robbery.hold somebody prisoner/hostage/captive A senior army officer was held hostage for four months.hold somebody incommunicado (=keep someone somewhere and not allow them to communicate with anyone)8 opinion [transitive not in progressive] to have a particular opinion or belief Experts hold varying opinions as to the causes of the disease.be widely/generally/commonly held (=be the opinion of a lot of people) This view is not widely held.be held to be something She was held to be one of the most talented actors of her time.hold that The judge held that the child’s interests in this case must come first.9 → hold somebody responsible/accountable/liable (for something)10 own something [transitive]OWN to officially own or possess money, a document, a company etc He holds shares in ICI. Do you hold a valid passport? a privately-held company► see thesaurus at own11 contain a particular amount [transitive not in progressive] to have the space to contain a particular amount of something The movie theater holds 500 people. The tank should hold enough to last us a few days. 12 support [intransitive, transitive] to be strong enough to support the weight of something or someone Careful! I’m not sure that branch will hold you. The bridge didn’t look as though it would hold.13 stay at same level [intransitive, transitive] to stay at a particular amount, level, or rate, or to make something do this The bank is holding interest rates at 4%. Since then, the pound has held steady against the dollar.hold somebody’s interest/attention (=make someone stay interested) Colourful pictures help hold the students’ interest.14 not change [intransitive] to continue to be true, good, available etc What I said yesterday holds. Does your invitation still hold?hold true/good Twenty years on, his advice still holds good.weather/luck holds (out) (=continues to be good) If our luck holds, we could reach the final.15 stop/delay [transitive] spoken used in particular phrases to tell someone to wait or not to do something I’ll have a tuna fish sandwich please – and hold the mayo (=do not give me any).hold it! Hold it! We’re not quite ready.hold your horses! (=used to tell someone to do something more slowly or carefully)16 → hold your head up17 → hold your breath18 → hold (your) fire19 telephone [intransitive] (also hold the line) spoken to wait until the person you have telephoned is ready to answer Mr Stevens is busy at the moment – would you like to hold? Please hold the line while I transfer you. 20 army [transitive]DEFEND if an army holds a place, it controls it or defends it from attack The French army held the town for three days.21 musical note [transitive]APMCONTINUE/NOT STOP to make a musical note continue for a particular length of time22 future [transitive] formal if the future holds something, that is what may happen Thousands of workers are waiting to see what the future holds.23 have a quality [transitive] formal to have a particular qualityhold (little) interest/appeal/promise etc Many church services hold little appeal for modern tastes.24 → hold your own (against somebody)25 → not hold a candle to somebody/something26 → be left holding the baby27 → hold sway28 → hold court29 → hold your tongue30 → hold all the cards31 → hold fast (to something)32 → hold a conversation33 → hold the fort34 → hold the lead/advantage35 → there’s no holding somebody (back)36 → can hold your drink/liquor/alcohol etc37 → not hold water38 → hold something/somebody dear39 → hold the road40 → hold that thought → hold a course at course1(8)THESAURUShold to have something in your hand, hands, or armsMaria came in holding a letter.Can I hold the baby?grip to hold something very tightly and not let it goHe gripped her arm so she couldn’t walk away.Jenny gripped the side of the boat to steady herself.clutch to hold something tightly, especially because you do not want to drop or lose itA businessman hurried past, clutching his briefcase.The little girl clutched onto his hand.clasp written to hold someone or something tightly, closing your fingers or arms around themShe was clasping a bunch of small summer flowers.He clasped her in his arms and kissed her.get/take hold of something to take something in your hand or hands and hold itI took hold of the handle and pulled as hard as I could.Quickly – try and get hold of that frog!grasp written to take hold of something firmly, especially in a determined wayShe grasped the lowest branch and pulled herself up into the tree.grab to take hold of something suddenly and often violentlyHe grabbed my bag and ran off with it.The other man grabbed hold of (=suddenly took hold of ) my arms and threatened me with a knife.seize /siːz/ written to take hold of something suddenly and often violentlyA police officer ran after him and seized the gun.hang on (to something) to hold on to something or someone tightly to support yourselfHe hung on to the rail at the back of the motorbike.Hang on tight!keep hold of something to continue to hold somethingGreg was struggling to keep hold of the dog.She tried to take her hand away but he kept hold of it. → hold something against somebody → hold back → hold somebody/something ↔ down → hold forth → hold off → hold on → hold on to somebody/something → hold out → hold out for something → hold out on somebody → hold something over → hold to something → hold together → hold up → hold somebody/something up as something → hold with something→ See Verb table
in your hand/arms a) [transitive]HOLD to have something in your hand, hands, or arms Could you hold my bag for me?hold something in your hand/arms He was holding a knife in one hand. I held the baby in my arms.hold hands (=hold each other’s hands) They sat holding hands under a tree.hold somebody close/tightly (=with your arms around someone) Max held her close and wiped away her tears. b) [transitive always + adverb/preposition]MOVE something OR somebody to move your hand or something in your hand in a particular directionhold something out/up etc He held out his hand to help her to her feet. Hold the picture up so we can see it.2 event [transitive] to have a meeting, party, election etc in a particular place or at a particular time This year’s conference will be held at the Hilton Hotel. A thanksgiving ceremony was held to mark the occasion. The funeral was held on a grey day in November. In April, the president held talks with Chinese leaders.3 keep something in position [transitive] to make something stay in a particular positionhold something open/up etc We used rolled-up newspapers to hold the windows open. Remember to hold your head up and keep your back straight.hold something in place/position A couple of screws should hold it in place. Lift your head off the floor and hold this position for five seconds.4 job/titleJOB/WORK [transitive] a) to have a particular job or position, especially an important one Do you really think he’s capable of holding such a responsible position?hold the post/position/office etc (of something) She was the first woman to hold the office of Australian state premier. The governor had held the post since 1989. Whoever is elected will hold office (=have an important political position) for four years. b) to have a particular title or record, because you have won a competition, are the best at something etc The programme still holds the record for the longest running TV series. The last Briton to hold the title was Bert Nicholson.5 keep/store [transitive] to keep something to be used when it is needed Further copies of the book are held in the library. Weapons were held at various sites. 6 keep something available for somebody [transitive] to agree not to give something such as a ticket, a place at a restaurant, a job etc to anyone except a particular person We can hold the reservation for you until next Friday.hold something open You can’t expect them to hold the job open for much longer – you’ll have to decide whether you want it or not.7 keep somebody somewhere [transitive] to keep someone somewhere, and not allow them to leave Police are holding two men in connection with the robbery.hold somebody prisoner/hostage/captive A senior army officer was held hostage for four months.hold somebody incommunicado (=keep someone somewhere and not allow them to communicate with anyone)8 opinion [transitive not in progressive] to have a particular opinion or belief Experts hold varying opinions as to the causes of the disease.be widely/generally/commonly held (=be the opinion of a lot of people) This view is not widely held.be held to be something She was held to be one of the most talented actors of her time.hold that The judge held that the child’s interests in this case must come first.9 → hold somebody responsible/accountable/liable (for something)10 own something [transitive]OWN to officially own or possess money, a document, a company etc He holds shares in ICI. Do you hold a valid passport? a privately-held company► see thesaurus at own11 contain a particular amount [transitive not in progressive] to have the space to contain a particular amount of something The movie theater holds 500 people. The tank should hold enough to last us a few days. 12 support [intransitive, transitive] to be strong enough to support the weight of something or someone Careful! I’m not sure that branch will hold you. The bridge didn’t look as though it would hold.13 stay at same level [intransitive, transitive] to stay at a particular amount, level, or rate, or to make something do this The bank is holding interest rates at 4%. Since then, the pound has held steady against the dollar.hold somebody’s interest/attention (=make someone stay interested) Colourful pictures help hold the students’ interest.14 not change [intransitive] to continue to be true, good, available etc What I said yesterday holds. Does your invitation still hold?hold true/good Twenty years on, his advice still holds good.weather/luck holds (out) (=continues to be good) If our luck holds, we could reach the final.15 stop/delay [transitive] spoken used in particular phrases to tell someone to wait or not to do something I’ll have a tuna fish sandwich please – and hold the mayo (=do not give me any).hold it! Hold it! We’re not quite ready.hold your horses! (=used to tell someone to do something more slowly or carefully)16 → hold your head up17 → hold your breath18 → hold (your) fire19 telephone [intransitive] (also hold the line) spoken to wait until the person you have telephoned is ready to answer Mr Stevens is busy at the moment – would you like to hold? Please hold the line while I transfer you. 20 army [transitive]DEFEND if an army holds a place, it controls it or defends it from attack The French army held the town for three days.21 musical note [transitive]APMCONTINUE/NOT STOP to make a musical note continue for a particular length of time22 future [transitive] formal if the future holds something, that is what may happen Thousands of workers are waiting to see what the future holds.23 have a quality [transitive] formal to have a particular qualityhold (little) interest/appeal/promise etc Many church services hold little appeal for modern tastes.24 → hold your own (against somebody)25 → not hold a candle to somebody/something26 → be left holding the baby27 → hold sway28 → hold court29 → hold your tongue30 → hold all the cards31 → hold fast (to something)32 → hold a conversation33 → hold the fort34 → hold the lead/advantage35 → there’s no holding somebody (back)36 → can hold your drink/liquor/alcohol etc37 → not hold water38 → hold something/somebody dear39 → hold the road40 → hold that thought → hold a course at course1(8)THESAURUShold to have something in your hand, hands, or armsMaria came in holding a letter.Can I hold the baby?grip to hold something very tightly and not let it goHe gripped her arm so she couldn’t walk away.Jenny gripped the side of the boat to steady herself.clutch to hold something tightly, especially because you do not want to drop or lose itA businessman hurried past, clutching his briefcase.The little girl clutched onto his hand.clasp written to hold someone or something tightly, closing your fingers or arms around themShe was clasping a bunch of small summer flowers.He clasped her in his arms and kissed her.get/take hold of something to take something in your hand or hands and hold itI took hold of the handle and pulled as hard as I could.Quickly – try and get hold of that frog!grasp written to take hold of something firmly, especially in a determined wayShe grasped the lowest branch and pulled herself up into the tree.grab to take hold of something suddenly and often violentlyHe grabbed my bag and ran off with it.The other man grabbed hold of (=suddenly took hold of ) my arms and threatened me with a knife.seize /siːz/ written to take hold of something suddenly and often violentlyA police officer ran after him and seized the gun.hang on (to something) to hold on to something or someone tightly to support yourselfHe hung on to the rail at the back of the motorbike.Hang on tight!keep hold of something to continue to hold somethingGreg was struggling to keep hold of the dog.She tried to take her hand away but he kept hold of it. → hold something against somebody → hold back → hold somebody/something ↔ down → hold forth → hold off → hold on → hold on to somebody/something → hold out → hold out for something → hold out on somebody → hold something over → hold to something → hold together → hold up → hold somebody/something up as something → hold with something→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
hold• Each carton holds 113 oranges.• Militant prisoners held 24 guards hostage on Friday, as jail unrest spread throughout the country.• No one knows where the kidnapped woman is being held.• She held a baby in her arms.• A smiling woman holding a can of beer came over to us.• In the photograph there was a small boy holding a flag.• No state yet to hold a primary has as many major media markets as Ohio.• She works for Le Monde, where the staff hold a significant stake in the company.• A blank data disk can hold about 360,000 characters.• Galvanized metal buckets, filled with ice, can hold beverages such as small bottles of ice tea, juices and water.• Twenty-four solar systems held by the enemy had recently been destroyed.• Several tourists were being held captive by rebels in Kashmir.• Lost items will be held for thirty days.• So she rode slowly through them, mostly holding her breath and praying that they wouldn't charge at her.• I held her until she went to sleep.• I held him under the spigot and squeezed his chest as the icy water ran over him.• I got the post office to hold our mail while we were on vacation.• I took a glass of champagne from the tray the waiter held out.• a situation in which a husband and wife both hold shares in a family company• IBM still holds shares in the new company.• I just want a shelf that will hold some plants.• Heat the stock in a pot large enough to hold the fish.• I held the money tightly in my hand.• The Van Gogh holds the world auction price record of $ 82.5m.• Plans are well advanced to hold two-day Workshops for staff of colleges invited to progress their Pilot Proposals to Stage 2.• Police are holding two men for questioning in connection with the robbery.• As long as the mild weather holds, you can keep planting.hold something in your hand/arms• He longed to be holding one in his hands.• The next moment he held Iphigenia in his arms.• I held him in my arms as he clutched at me, then relaxed, then shuddered into sleep.• If you hold it in your hands it gets warm.• One of us takes the tiniest moment and holds it in our hands, recalling it in all its particulars.• Cara held it in her hands, staring at it, unbelieving.• Was it because the man who held her in his arms was a confident and easy dancer?• Now she held it in her hand with the cross, a silent pleading for Rob's return.held talks with• The company also has held talks with Apple Computer about a technology sponsorship that could include kiosks at the facility.• On Feb. 21 Kravchuk held talks with opposition representatives on the possibility of forming a coalition government.• Councillors have already held talks with the town's bus operators with a view to reducing the number of vehicles using the centre. hold something in place/position• Bone, plastic, wood or pearl-handled cutlery Exposure to very hot water can soften the glue holding the handle in place.• I was also told that I have to put plywood on the ceiling to hold the tiles in place.• Impale each stack with a bamboo stick to hold the bales in place.• The former system involved the operative having to attach more than 20 bands at a time to hold a mould in position.• The nearby industry of the war years held the community in place.• A sturdy retaining wall will hold everything in place and you can use soil taken from other areas to fill in gaps.• It will need to have a ledge to support the reading material and strong clamps to hold pages in place are useful.• I held it in place, clutched at my side.hold the post/position/office etc (of something)• A Republican held the office of County Board president, easily second only to the office of mayor in political power.• He held the post during Milosevic's authoritarian rule.• He also holds the posts of Prime Minister and Defence Minister.• He currently holds the post of chief operating officer.• He has also held the position of factory manager.• In both cases Black might still be able to hold the position.• None of these men held the office over three months.• The Federals held the position nearer the coveted town.be widely/generally/commonly held• The belief that if you are over twenty-five you are too old is commonly held.• Scarman identified two views that were commonly held as to the causation of the disorders.• It was generally held on or about the feast day of the patron saint to whom the church was dedicated.• Informal briefings and seminars are generally held over the lunch-time period, which is only flexible for scientific and administrative staff.• But it is commonly held that Mind and Matter both have existence, separately, one from the other.• Thus it is commonly held that services are economic activities whose output is not a physical product.• In the city a bold and beautiful young man named Bellerophon was generally held to be his son.• Particular substances were commonly held to possess magical and even medical potential. privately-held• Most recently, he was chief executive officer of Cibus Pharmaceutical Inc., a privately held drugdelivery company.• Never having designed anything like this before Cusick privately held many worries about the cost and ease of manufacturing these props.• P., his privately held company, of $ 2 billion.• Pursue is a privately held energy company.• S., most timber is grown on privately held land and is sold at auction.• The privately held company, founded in 1989, is one of the fastest-growing technology startups.• Y., it remains privately held.held steady• Bonds held steady and the dollar rose against the yen.• Standard's market price held steady at 430p.• Unemployment held steady at a low 5. 6 percent in December, Labor Department figures showed today.• The tow held steady, but the weight of it was forcing him further and further off the wind.• To pick up the reflected signals, the cellphone has to be held steady for a few seconds, says Lubecke.• Exports had doubled from 1700 to 1740 to a value of £1,164,000 which generally held steady until the 1760s.hold true/good• In the event of a fuel pump failure the same reserve holds good.• If past experience holds true, about 10% of the injured will need immediate surgery.• The same trend holds true at the Capital Coin and Stamp Shop.• Some physicists argue that the need for an observer holds true even for such massive objects as the Moon.• The same holds true for all the other advice agencies in your area.• The same might hold true for every civilization.• What held good for Stoke Poges held good for the Western Isles.• The same holds true for the three P.wickerhamii introns.• But the Freudian maxim holds true: Laughter is just an expression of fear. hold it!• Hold it a minute! I've just had a really good idea.• Hold it! Sara just lost a contact lens.what the future holds• Hankin, as well as the players, press and supporters, do not know what the future holds.• It is important, however, to distinguish between the current situation and what the future holds.• Male speaker Because we don't know what the disorder is, we can't tell the family what the future holds.• They should settle with Clinton rather than gamble on what the future holds.• Tonight, we look at other memorable programmes from the archives and ask what the future holds?• Who knows what the future holds?• With the growth that seems likely over the next few years one can not help asking what the future holds.hold (little) interest/appeal/promise etc• For the moment Christmas on the slopes holds little promise.• But, for the most part, the news surely held little interest for her.• Richard Branson holds little appeal for them.• The models of the last 30 years hold little interest for those in Bird Land.• The Group now holds interests in 20 fields in production.• Carso holds interests in a wide range of industries, including mining, auto parts, cigarettes and retail.• Others hold interests in racetracks, which depend on political goodwill for additional racing dates.• Clark's work clearly holds promise of a new class of antimalarials, even though there is much still to be done. holdhold2 ●●● S2 W3 noun 1 holding something [singular]HOLD the action of holding something with your hands SYN griphold on She released her tight hold on the dog. He tightened his hold, refusing to let her go. Make sure you keep hold of my hand when we cross the road. I took hold of her hand and gently led her away. Grab hold of the rope and pull yourself up.2 → get hold of something3 → get hold of somebody4 control/power [singular] control, power, or influence over something or someoneget/keep a hold on/of something He struggled to get a hold of his emotions. I’ve always kept a tight hold on our finances. I realized that the woman had a hold over my father.5 → on hold6 → take (a) hold7 → get hold of an idea/an impression/a story etc8 fight [countable]DSO a particular position that you hold an opponent in, in a fight or a sport such as wrestling9 climbing [countable]DSO somewhere you can put your hands or feet to help you climb something The cliff was steep and it was difficult to find a hold.10 ship [countable]TTW the part of a ship below the deck1(1) where goods are stored11 → no holds barredCOLLOCATIONSadjectivesa tight/firm holdRose had a tight hold of her hand.verbstighten your holdMaria winced as Luke tightened his hold on her fingers.loosen/relax your holdLaughing, he loosened his hold until she could pull her arms free.release your hold (=stop holding something)As soon as his fingers released their hold, Robyn turned and ran.phraseskeep hold of something (=hold something without letting go)I had to run to keep hold of the leather strap.get/take hold of something (=start holding something)Wallace took hold of Fred’s jacket and pulled him roughly backwards.catch/grab/seize etc hold of something (=start holding something quickly and firmly)She grabbed hold of the letter and tore it open.have hold of something (=be holding something)Nathan had hold of her hand again. Examples from the Corpus
hold• The cliff is steep and it's difficult to find a hold.• Bowman caught hold of the short lever fastened to the valve and with his last strength pulled it down.• In this form of wrestling there are a number of different holds, each used in a different situation.• And I think I just might try to get hold of Mark.• But when you get hold of the document and look at the detail you're in for a nasty surprise.• It was a bit late for that, since the press had got hold of the story anyway.• Here was a gravity you could argue with; here was a horizon close enough to reach out and grasp hold of.• Prevost asked me if I still had hold of my camera.• My mother relaxed, and loosened her hold on my hand.• Kara tightened her hold on the bat.• I tightened my hold on the child as we crossed the busy road.• Analysts say the company has a potential to become extremely profitable if the technology takes hold.• The wine Adrienne had kept passing to her was taking hold of an empty stomach.tight hold on• He had a tight hold on the audience, totally in command of his band.• He says you have to keep a tight hold on the nuts.• She would be keeping a tight hold on her feelings from now on.• Dominic crept carefully down the stairs, keeping a tight hold on the gleaming mahogany banister.• The purge reflects the party leadership's concern with keeping a tight hold on the political reins.• Keeping a tight hold on herself, she went in search of Helen and accepted with gratitude her invitation to lunch.get/keep a hold on/of something• If I could get hold of him, I'd kill him.• She wanted to know how she could get hold of that poem, and maybe that whole book.• He simply can not bear the thought of his hated enemy getting hold of young Adam.• Do you know if such a list exists and if so where I might get hold of it?• They are swiftly-moving animals and not easy to get hold of.• And I think I just might try to get hold of Mark.• How on earth did you get hold of this?From Longman Business Dictionaryholdhold1 /həʊldhoʊld/ verb (past tense and past participle held /held/)1[transitive]FINANCE if you hold an investment, you own itThe group holds billions of dollars of junk bonds.2[transitive]FINANCE to keep an investment, rather than sell itI don’t sell anything. I buy stocks to hold.3hold an interest/position/stake in somethingFINANCE to own part of company, asset etcThe company also holds a 25 percent interest in a German refinery.4hold a patentLAW to own a PATENT (=the right to profits from a product based on a new idea)Inventor Charles Fritz holds the patent to the Tripledge windshield wiper.5[transitive] to have a meetingThis year’s conference will be held in Brighton. 6[transitive] to keep supplies in a particular placeThe steel company holds stocks at the terminals in order to make just-in-time deliveries to local customers.7[transitive]FINANCE to keep a price or other amount at a particular levelThe bank is holding interest rates at 4%.8[intransitive]FINANCE to remain at the same levelSince then, the pound has held steady against the dollar.9hold (its) valueCOMMERCE if something holds value or holds its value, it does not lose its value, or it loses value more slowly than you might expectThe works of Magritte and Miro continue to hold their value at auctions despite the art-market slump.In an increasingly disposable society, luxury cars are one of the few items that hold value.10hold office if a political party holds office, it governs a country 11hold office to have an important job in the government or in a companyThe original directors of the company would hold office only for the first year of privatization.12hold a job/position/post etc formalJOB to have a particular jobShe has held the position of Chief Financial Officer for five years. → hold something → down → hold out for something → hold up→ See Verb tableholdhold2 noun [countable]1TRANSPORTthe part of a ship or plane where goods are stored for transportThe Mega Borg had 38 million gallons of crude in its hold.2COMMERCE if a company has a hold on a market or a large part of a market, it makes it difficult for others to competehold onThey thought they had a pretty good hold on the computer market.3FINANCE if someone says that an investment is a hold, they mean that people who have it should keep it and not sell it, but that they should not buy any more of itHe rates the stock a hold, but figures it ‘might go down before it goes up.’Origin hold1 Old English healdan hold2 1. → HOLD12. hole 