verb
Etymology: hold (I) + out
transitive verb
1.
a. : to reach or stretch out
the cook held a plate of food out to him
held his hand out with a smile
b. : offer , proffer
a job that seemed to hold many more opportunities out to him than his old one
could hold out no hope of advancement
2. : to make out to be : represent
held himself out as a trained pharmacist
3.
a. archaic : to keep up : continue , maintain
b. obsolete : sustain
c. archaic : to defend against a foe
4. : to retain possession of (a card) secretly for the purpose of cheating or deceiving in a game (as poker)
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to remain unsubdued by opposing forces : not yield or give way : last , endure
the garrison under siege held out for almost a month
also : to continue to operate : not fail
prayed the engine would hold out until we got home
b. : to refuse to come to an agreement or make a settlement until certain terms are met
held out for a shorter working day
2. : to hang out
a gang of adolescents who hold out at the corner drug store
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- hold out on