HOLD

I. verb (held; ~ing) Etymology: Middle English, from Old English healdan; akin to Old High German haltan to ~, and perhaps to Latin celer rapid, Greek klonos agitation Date: before 12th century transitive verb 1. to have possession or ownership of or have at one's disposal , to have as a privilege or position of responsibility , to have as a mark of distinction , to keep under restraint , to prevent free expression of , to prevent from some action , to keep back from use , to delay temporarily the handling of , to make liable or accountable or bound to an obligation , 4. to have or maintain in the grasp , to support in a particular position or keep from falling or moving , to bear the pressure of ; support , to prevent from leaving or getting away , to avoid emitting or letting out , to restrain as or as if a captive , 6. to enclose and keep in a container or within bounds ; contain , to be able to consume easily or without undue effect , accommodate , to have as a principal or essential feature or attribute , 7. to have in the mind or express as a judgment, opinion, or belief , to think of in a particular way ; regard , 8. to assemble for and carry on the activity of , to cause to be carried on ; conduct , to produce or sponsor especially as a public exhibition , 9. to maintain occupation, control, or defense of , to maintain (a certain condition, situation, or course of action) without change , to cover (a part of the body) especially for protection , intransitive verb 1. to maintain position ; refuse to give ground , to continue in the same way or to the same degree ; last , to derive right or title, to be or remain valid ; apply , to maintain a grasp on something ; remain fastened to something , to go ahead as one has been going , to bear or carry oneself , to forbear an intended or threatened action ; halt , pause , to stop counting during a countdown, to have illicit drug material in one's possession, see: contain II. noun Date: 14th century strong~ 1, 2. confinement , custody , prison , 3. a. the act or the manner of ~ing or grasping ; grip , a manner of grasping an opponent in wrestling, a nonphysical bond that attaches, restrains, or constrains or by which something is affected, controlled, or dominated , full comprehension , full or immediate control ; possession , touch 14, something that may be grasped as a support, 5. fermata , the time between the onset and the release of a vocal articulation, a sudden motionless posture at the end of a dance, 7. an order or indication that something is to be reserved or delayed, a delay in a countdown (as in launching a spacecraft), III. noun Etymology: alteration of hole Date: 1591 the interior of a ship below decks, the cargo compartment of a plane