1. Keep in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., "keep clean"
   "hold in place"; "She always held herself as a lady"
   -

1. The act of grasping
   "she kept a firm hold on the railing"
   - clasp, clench, clutch, clutches, grasp, grip 
2. Understanding of the nature or meaning or quality or magnitude of something
   - 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
   "he ordered a hold in the action"
   - delay, time lag, postponement, wait 
5. A state of being confined (usually for a short time)
   "the prisoner is on hold"
   - detention, detainment, custody 
6. A cell in a jail or prison
   - keep 
7. The appendage to an object that is designed to be held in order to use or move it
   - handle, grip, handgrip 
8. The space in a ship or aircraft for storing cargo
   - cargo area, cargo deck, cargo hold, storage area 
9. [archaic] A stronghold

Sounds like: holed

Derived forms: holding, held, holds

See also: handheld, held, hold back, hold out, hold over, hold up, holder, holding

Type of: affirm, aim, appendage, apprehension, assert, aver, avow, be, bear on, becharm [archaic], beguile, believe, bespeak, bewitch, booze, break, call for, captivate, capture, catch, cell, charm, come to, command, conceive, concern, confinement, consider, continue, control, cover, defer, direct, disable, discernment, disenable, drink, enamor [US], enamour [Brit, Cdn], enchant, enclosure, entrance, evaluate, exist, experience, fascinate, fastness, feel, fuddle, go along, go on, grasping, have to do with, hold back, hold on, hold out, hold over, incapacitate, include, intermission, interruption, jail cell, judge, keep, keep back, pass judgment, pause, pertain, postpone, prehension, prevent, prison cell, proceed, prorogue, protect, put off, put over, quest, reckon, refer, regard, relate, remit, request, resist, restrain, savvy, see, seizing, set back, shelve, stand firm, stop, stronghold, suspension, swan, swear, table [N. Amer], take, take aim, taking hold, think, touch, touch on, train, trance, understanding, verify, view, withstand

Antonym: let go of

Part of: aspergill, aspersorium, baggage, baseball bat, bat, briefcase, brush, carpet beater, carrycot, cart, cheese cutter, coffee cup, coffeepot, cricket bat, cutlery, eating utensil, edge tool, faucet [N. Amer], French telephone, frying pan, frypan [N. Amer], go-cart, hand tool, handbarrow, handcart, handlebar, handset, ladle, luggage, lumber, mug, pushcart, racket, racquet, rug beater, saucepan, ship, skillet [N. Amer], spatula, spigot, tap, teacup, umbrella, watering can, watering pot

Encyclopedia: Hold

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• papyrology
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• par
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• par value
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• para aminobenzoic acid
• para I
• Para River
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• parable
• parabola
• parabolic
• parabolic geometry
• parabolic mirror