I. PHYSICALLY TOUCHING, SUPPORTING, OR CONTAINING
(~s, ~ing, held)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
When you ~ something, you carry or support it, using your hands or your arms.
Hold the knife at an angle...
He held the pistol in his right hand...
VERB: V n prep/adv, V n
•
Hold is also a noun.
He released his ~ on the camera.
N-COUNT: usu sing
2.
Hold is used in expressions such as grab ~ of, catch ~ of, and get ~ of, to indicate that you close your hand tightly around something, for example to stop something moving or falling.
I was woken up by someone grabbing ~ of my sleeping bag...
A doctor and a nurse caught ~ of his arms...
N-UNCOUNT: N of n
3.
When you ~ someone, you put your arms round them, usually because you want to show them how much you like them or because you want to comfort them.
If only he would ~ her close to him.
VERB: V n adv, also V n
4.
If you ~ someone in a particular position, you use force to keep them in that position and stop them from moving.
He then held the man in an armlock until police arrived...
I’d got two nurses ~ing me down.
VERB: V n prep, V n with adv, also V n
5.
A ~ is a particular way of keeping someone in a position using your own hands, arms, or legs.
...use of an unauthorized ~ on a handcuffed suspect.
N-COUNT
6.
When you ~ a part of your body, you put your hand on or against it, often because it hurts.
Soon she was crying bitterly about the pain and was ~ing her throat.
VERB: V n
7.
When you ~ a part of your body in a particular position, you put it into that position and keep it there.
Hold your hands in front of your face...
He walked at a rapid pace with his back straight and his head held erect.
VERB: V n prep/adv, V-ed, also V n adj
8.
If one thing ~s another in a particular position, it keeps it in that position.
...the wooden wedge which held the heavy door open...
They used steel pins to ~ everything in place.
VERB: V n with adv, V n prep
9.
If one thing is used to ~ another, it is used to store it.
Two knife racks ~ her favourite knives.
= store
VERB: V n
10.
In a ship or aeroplane, a ~ is a place where cargo or luggage is stored.
A fire had been reported in the cargo ~.
N-COUNT: oft n N
11.
If a place ~s something, it keeps it available for reference or for future use.
The Small Firms Service ~s an enormous amount of information on any business problem...
VERB: V n
12.
If something ~s a particular amount of something, it can contain that amount.
One CD-ROM disk can ~ over 100,000 pages of text.
VERB: no cont, V n
13.
If a vehicle ~s the road well, it remains in close contact with the road and can be controlled safely and easily.
I thought the car held the road really well.
VERB: V n adv, also V n
14.
see also ~ing
II. HAVING OR DOING
(~s, ~ing, held)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
Note: 'Hold' is often used to indicate that someone or something has the particular thing, characteristic, or attitude that is mentioned. Therefore it takes most of its meaning from the word that follows it.
1.
Hold is used with words and expressions indicating an opinion or belief, to show that someone has a particular opinion or believes that something is true.
He ~s certain expectations about the teacher’s role...
Current thinking ~s that obesity is more a medical than a psychological problem...
The public, meanwhile, ~ architects in low esteem.
...a widely held opinion.
VERB: no cont, V n, V that, V n in n, V-ed
2.
Hold is used with words such as ‘fear’ or ‘mystery’ to indicate someone’s feelings towards something, as if those feelings were a characteristic of the thing itself.
Death doesn’t ~ any fear for me...
It held more mystery than even the darkest jungle...
VERB: no passive, V n for n, V n
3.
Hold is used with nouns such as ‘office’, ‘power’, and ‘responsibility’ to indicate that someone has a particular position of power or authority.
She has never held ministerial office...
VERB: V n
4.
Hold is used with nouns such as ‘permit’, ‘degree’, or ‘ticket’ to indicate that someone has a particular document that allows them to do something.
He did not ~ a firearm certificate...
Passengers ~ing tickets will receive refunds.
VERB: V n, V n
5.
Hold is used with nouns such as ‘party’, ‘meeting’, ‘talks’, ‘election’, and ‘trial’ to indicate that people are organizing a particular activity.
The German sports federation said it would ~ an investigation.
VERB: V n
~ing
They also called for the ~ing of multi-party general elections.
N-UNCOUNT: N of n
6.
Hold is used with nouns such as ‘conversation’, ‘interview’, and ‘talks’ to indicate that two or more people meet and discuss something.
The Prime Minister, is ~ing consultations with his colleagues to finalise the deal...
The engineer and his son held frequent consultations concerning technical problems...
They can’t believe you can even ~ a conversation.
V-RECIP: V n with n, pl-n V, V n (non-recip)
7.
Hold is used with nouns such as ‘shares’ and ‘stock’ to indicate that someone owns a particular proportion of a business.
The group said it continues to ~ 1,774,687 Vons shares...
VERB: V n
see also ~ing
8.
Hold is used with words such as ‘lead’ or ‘advantage’ to indicate that someone is winning or doing well in a contest.
He continued to ~ a lead in Angola’s presidential race...
VERB: V n
9.
Hold is used with nouns such as ‘attention’ or ‘interest’ to indicate that what you do or say keeps someone interested or listening to you.
If you want to ~ someone’s attention, look them directly in the eye but don’t stare...
= keep
VERB: V n
10.
If you ~ someone responsible, liable, or accountable for something, you will blame them if anything goes wrong.
It’s impossible to ~ any individual responsible.
VERB: V n adj
III. CONTROLLING OR REMAINING
(~s, ~ing, held)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
If someone ~s you in a place, they keep you there as a prisoner and do not allow you to leave.
The inside of a van was as good a place as any to ~ a kidnap victim...
Somebody is ~ing your wife hostage...
Japan had originally demanded the return of two seamen held on spying charges.
VERB: V n, V n n, V-ed
2.
If people such as an army or a violent crowd ~ a place, they control it by using force.
Demonstrators have been ~ing the square since Sunday.
VERB: V n
3.
If you have a ~ over someone, you have power or control over them, for example because you know something about them you can use to threaten them or because you are in a position of authority.
He had ordered his officers to keep an exceptionally firm ~ over their men...
N-SING: usu N over/on n
4.
If you ask someone to ~, or to ~ the line, when you are answering a telephone call, you are asking them to wait for a short time, for example so that you can find the person they want to speak to.
Could you ~ the line and I’ll just get my pen...
A telephone operator asked him to ~.
= ~ on
VERB: no passive, V n, V
5.
If you ~ telephone calls for someone, you do not allow people who phone to speak to that person, but take messages instead.
He tells his secretary to ~ his calls.
VERB: V n
6.
If something ~s at a particular value or level, or is held there, it is kept at that value or level.
OPEC production is ~ing at around 21.5 million barrels a day...
The Prime Minister yesterday ruled out Government action to ~ down petrol prices...
The final dividend will be held at 20.7p, after an 8 per cent increase.
...provided the pound ~s its value against the euro.
VERB: V prep/adv/adj, V n with adv, V n prep/adj, V n
7.
If you ~ a sound or musical note, you continue making it.
...a voice which hit and held every note with perfect ease and clarity.
VERB: V n
8.
If you ~ something such as a train, a lift, or an elevator, you delay it.
A London Underground spokesman defended the decision to ~ the train until police arrived.
VERB: V n
9.
If an offer or invitation still ~s, it is still available for you to accept.
Does your offer still ~?
VERB: V
10.
If a good situation ~s, it continues and does not get worse or fail.
Our luck couldn’t ~ for ever...
Would the weather ~?...
VERB: V, V
11.
If an argument or theory ~s, it is true or valid, even after close examination.
Today, most people think that argument no longer ~s...
VERB: V
•
Hold up means the same as ~ .
Democrats say arguments against the bill won’t ~ up.
PHRASAL VERB: V P
12.
If part of a structure ~s, it does not fall or break although there is a lot of force or pressure on it.
How long would the roof ~?
VERB: V
13.
If laws or rules ~, they exist and remain in force.
These laws also ~ for universities.
VERB: V
14.
If you ~ to a promise or to high standards of behaviour, you keep that promise or continue to behave according to those standards. (FORMAL)
Will the President be able to ~ to this commitment?...
= stick to
VERB: V to n
15.
If someone or something ~s you to a promise or to high standards of behaviour, they make you keep that promise or those standards.
Don’t ~ me to that...
VERB: V n to n
IV. PHRASES
(~s, ~ing, held)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
Please look at category 13 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1.
If you ~ forth on a subject, you speak confidently and for a long time about it, especially to a group of people.
Barry was ~ing forth on politics.
PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR on n
2.
If you get ~ of an object or information, you obtain it, usually after some difficulty.
It is hard to get ~ of guns in this country.
PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n
3.
If you get ~ of a fact or a subject, you learn about it and understand it well. (BRIT INFORMAL)
He first had to get ~ of some basic facts.
PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n
4.
If you get ~ of someone, you manage to contact them.
The only electrician we could get ~ of was miles away.
PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n
5.
If you say ‘Hold it’, you are telling someone to stop what they are doing and to wait.
Hold it! Don’t move!
= stop
CONVENTION
6.
If you put something on ~, you decide not to do it, deal with it, or change it now, but to leave it until later.
He put his retirement on ~ until he had found a solution...
PHRASE: PHR after v, v-link PHR
7.
If you ~ your own, you are able to resist someone who is attacking or opposing you.
The Frenchman held his own against the challenger.
PHRASE: V inflects
8.
If you can do something well enough to ~ your own, you do not appear foolish when you are compared with someone who is generally thought to be very good at it.
She can ~ her own against almost any player.
PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR against n
9.
If you ~ still, you do not move.
Can’t you ~ still for a second?
PHRASE: V inflects
10.
If something takes ~, it gains complete control or influence over a person or thing.
She felt a strange excitement taking ~ of her...
PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR of n
11.
If you ~ tight, you put your hand round or against something in order to prevent yourself from falling over. A bus driver might say ‘Hold tight!’ to you if you are standing on a bus when it is about to move.
He held tight to the rope...
= hang on
PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR prep
12.
If you ~ tight, you do not immediately start a course of action that you have been planning or thinking about.
The unions have circulated their branches, urging members to ~ tight until a national deal is struck.
PHRASE: V inflects
13.
to ~ something at bay: see bay
to ~ your breath: see breath
to ~ something in check: see check
to ~ court: see court
to ~ fast: see fast
to ~ the fort: see fort
to ~ your ground: see ground
to ~ your peace: see peace
to ~ someone to ransom: see ransom
to ~ sway: see sway
to ~ your tongue: see tongue