~ 1
■ verb ( past and past participle held )
1》 grasp, carry, or support.
2》 keep in a specified position: I held the door open for him.
↘remain secure or intact: the boat's anchor would not ~.
3》 keep or detain.
↘have in one's possession.
↘have or occupy (a job or position).
↘(in sport) manage to achieve a draw against.
↘have in store: I don't know what the future ~s.
4》 continue to follow (a course).
↘stay or cause to stay at a certain value or level.
↘( ~ to ) refuse to abandon or change (a principle).
↘( ~ someone to ) cause someone to adhere to (a commitment).
↘be or remain valid or available: I'll have that coffee now, if the offer still ~s.
5》 contain or be capable of containing.
↘be able to drink (a reasonable amount of alcohol) without suffering ill effects.
6》 have (a belief or opinion).
↘( ~ someone/thing in ) regard someone or something with (a specified feeling): the speed limit is held in contempt.
↘consider to be responsible for a situation.
↘(of a judge or court) rule; decide: the Court held that the public sector was covered by the directive.
7》 keep or reserve.
↘maintain (a telephone connection).
8》 prevent from going ahead or occurring.
↘ N. Amer. informal refrain from adding or using.
↘( ~ it ) informal wait or stop doing something.
9》 arrange and take part in (a meeting or conversation).
■ noun
1》 a grip.
2》 a hand~.
3》 a degree of power or control.
Phrases
be left ~ing the baby (or N. Amer. bag ) informal be left with an unwelcome responsibility.
get ~ of grasp.
↘ informal find or contact.
~ court be the centre of attention.
~ something dear value something greatly.
~ fast remain tightly secured.
↘continue to adhere to a principle.
~ the fort take responsibility for something temporarily.
~ good (or true ) remain true or valid.
~ hard Brit. stop or wait.
~ someone/thing harmless Law indemnify someone or something.
~ one's horses informal wait a moment.
~ the line not yield to pressure.
~ someone to bail Law bind someone by bail.
~ one's tongue informal remain silent.
~ water (of a theory) appear sound.
no ~s barred
1》 (in wrestling) with no restrictions on the kinds of ~s that are used.
2》 without rules or restrictions.
on ~
1》 waiting to be connected by telephone.
2》 left pending.
take ~ start to have an effect.
Phrasal verbs
~ something against allow past events to have a negative influence on one's present attitude towards.
~ back hesitate.
~ something down informal succeed in keeping a job.
~ forth talk at length or tediously.
~ off (of bad weather) fail to occur.
~ someone/thing off resist an attacker or challenge.
↘postpone an action or decision.
~ on
1》 wait; stop.
2》 keep going in difficult circumstances.
~ out
1》 resist difficult circumstances.
2》 continue to be sufficient.
~ out for continue to demand.
~ out on informal refuse to give information to.
~ something over
1》 postpone something.
2》 use information to threaten.
~ up remain strong or vigorous.
~ someone/thing up
1》 delay the progress of someone or something.
2》 rob someone using the threat of violence.
3》 present someone or something as an example.
~ with [with negative ] informal approve of.
Derivatives
~able adjective
~er noun
Origin
OE haldan , healdan , of Gmc origin.
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~ 2
■ noun a storage space in the lower part of a ship or aircraft.
Origin
C16: from obs. holl , from OE hol (see hole ); the -d was added by assoc. with ~ 1 .