English Dictionary

Definition of “holding”

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holding (ˈhəʊldɪŋPronunciation for holding) 

Definitions

noun

  1. land held under a lease and used for agriculture or similar purposes
  2. (often plural) property to which the holder has legal title, such as land, stocks, shares, and other investments
  3. sport the obstruction of an opponent with the hands or arms, esp in boxing

adjective

  1. Australian informal in funds; having money

1hold1 (həʊldPronunciation for hold1) 

Definitions

verb

Word forms: holds, holding, held, hɛld
  1. to have or keep (an object) with or within the hands, arms, etc; clasp
  2. (tr) to support or bear  ⇒ to hold a drowning man's head above water 
  3. to maintain or be maintained in a specified state or condition  ⇒ to hold one's emotions in check hold firm 
  4. (tr) to set aside or reserve  ⇒ they will hold our tickets until tomorrow 
  5. (when intr, usually used in commands) to restrain or be restrained from motion, action, departure, etc  ⇒ hold that man until the police come 
  6. (intr) to remain fast or unbroken  ⇒ that cable won't hold much longer 
  7. (intr) (of the weather) to remain dry and bright  ⇒ how long will the weather hold? 
  8. (tr) to keep the attention of  ⇒ her singing held the audience 
  9. (tr) to engage in or carry on  ⇒ to hold a meeting 
  10. (tr) to have the ownership, possession, etc, of  ⇒ he holds a law degree from London who's holding the ace of spades? 
  11. (tr) to have the use of or responsibility for  ⇒ to hold the office of director 
  12. (tr) to have the space or capacity for  ⇒ the carton will hold only eight books 
  13. (tr) to be able to control the outward effects of drinking beer, spirits, etc  ⇒ he can hold his drink well 
  14. to or by to remain or cause to remain committed to  ⇒ hold him to his promise he held by his views in spite of opposition 
  15. (tr; takes a clause as object) to claim  ⇒ he holds that the theory is incorrect 
  16. (intr) to remain relevant, valid, or true  ⇒ the old philosophies don't hold nowadays 
  17. (tr) to keep in the mind  ⇒ to hold affection for someone 
  18. (tr) to regard or consider in a specified manner  ⇒ I hold him very dear 
  19. (tr) to guard or defend successfully  ⇒ hold the fort against the attack 
  20. (intr) to continue to go  ⇒ hold on one's way 
  21. (sometimes foll by on) music to sustain the sound of (a note) throughout its specified duration  ⇒ to hold on a semibreve for its full value 
  22. (tr) computing to retain (data) in a storage device after copying onto another storage device or onto another location in the same device Compare clear (sense 49)
  23. (tr) to be in possession of illegal drugs
  24. See hold for
  25. See holding thumbs
  26. See hold it!
  27. See hold one's head high
  28. See hold one's own
  29. See hold one's peace
  30. See hold water
  31. See there is no holding him

noun

  1. the act or method of holding fast or grasping, as with the hands
  2. something to hold onto, as for support or control
  3. an object or device that holds fast or grips something else so as to hold it fast
  4. controlling force or influence  ⇒ she has a hold on him 
  5. a short delay or pause
  6. a prison or a cell in a prison
  7. wrestling a way of seizing one's opponent  ⇒ a wrist hold 
  8. music a pause or fermata
    1. a tenure or holding, esp of land
    2. ((in combination)  ⇒ leasehold freehold copyhold 
  10. a container
  11. archaic a fortified place
  12. See get hold of
  13. See no holds barred
  14. See on hold

See also

hold back , hold down , hold forth , hold in , hold off , hold on , hold out , hold over , hold together , hold-up , hold with

Alternative Forms

ˈholdable adjective

Word Origin

Old English healdan;  related to Old Norse halla,  Gothic haldan,  German halten

Usage examples

  • His tunic and hose she rather ceremoniously burned on the hearth, holding her nose as she did so.
    Jennifer Fallon, TREASON KEEP (2001)
  • However, next year will be different, as people want to move but are holding back until after Christmas and the New Year.
    Country Life (2004)
  • By holding out the promise of even minor sexual activity, they had, by their own creation, the perfect money-spinner.
    Irish Times (2002)
  • Democracy is about upsetting people in unelected institutions - and in elected ones - and holding them to account for what they do.
    Glasgow Herald (2001)
  • Tyler had the unenviable task holding the machine in hover against 45 to 50 knots of headwind.
    Rob Mundle, FATAL STORM (2001)

Commonness

All English words that begin with 'H'

Related Terms

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