10. To bear, carry, or manage; as he holds himself erect; he holds his head high. Let him hold his fingers thus. Shak. To hold a wager, to lay or hazard a wager. Swift. — To hold forth, to offer; to exhibit; to propose; to put forward. "The propositions which books hold forth and pretend to teach." Locke. — To held in, to restrain; to curd. — To hold in hand, to toy with; to keep in expectation; to have in one's power. [Obs.] O, fie! to receive favors, return falsehoods, And hold a lady in hand. Beaw. & Fl. —To hold in play, to keep under control; to dally with. Macaulay. — To hold off, to keep at a distance. — To hold on, to hold in being, continuance or position; as, to hold a rider on. — To hold one's day, to keep one's appointment. [Obs.] Chaucer. — To hold one's own. (a) To keep good one's present condition absolutely or relatively; not to fall off, or to lose ground; as, a ship holds her own when she does not lose ground in a race or chase; a man holds his own when he does not lose strength or weight. — To hold one's peace, to keep silence.- To hold out. (a) To extend; to offer. "Fortune holds out these to you as rewards." B. Jonson. (b) To continue to do or to suffer; to endure. "He can not long hold out these pangs." Shak. — To hold up. (a) To raise; to lift; as, hold up your head. (b) To support; to sustain. "He holds himself up in virtue."Sir P. Sidney. (c) To exhibit; to display; as, he was held up as an example. (d) To rein in; to check; to halt; as, hold up your horses. — To hold water. (a) Literally, to retain water without leaking; hence (Fig.), to be whole, sound, consistent, without gaps or holes; — commonly used in a negative sense; as, his statements will not hold water. [Collog.] (b) (Naut.) To hold the oars steady in the water, thus checking the headway of a boat.
HOLD
Hold, n. i.
Defn: In general, to keep one's self in a given position or condition; to remain fixed. Hence:
1. Not to more; to halt; to stop;-mostly in the imperative. And damned be him that first cries, "Hold, enough!" Shak.
2. Not to give way; not to part or become separated; to remain unbroken or unsubdued. Our force by land hath nobly held. Shak.
3. Not to fail or be found wanting; to continue; to last; to endure a test or trial; to abide; to persist. While our obedience holds. Milton. The rule holds in land as all other commodities. Locke.
4. Not to fall away, desert, or prove recreant; to remain attached; to cleave;-often with with, to, or for. He will hold to the one and despise the other. Matt. vi. 24
5. To restrain one's self; to refrain. His dauntless heart would fain have held From weeping, but his eyes rebelled. Dryden.
6. To derive right or title; — generally with of. My crown is absolute, and holds of none. Dryden. His imagination holds immediately from nature. Hazlitt. Hold on! Hold up! wait; stop; forbear. [Collog] — To hold forth, to speak in public; to harangue; to preach. L'Estrange. — To hold in, to restrain one's self; as, he wanted to laugh and could hardly hold in. — To hold off, to keep at a distance. — To hold on, to keep fast hold; to continue; to go on. "The trade held on for many years," Swift. — To hold out, to last; to endure; to continue; to maintain one's self; not to yield or give way. — To hold over, to remain in office, possession, etc., beyond a certain date. — To hold to or with, to take sides with, as a person or opinion. — To hold together, to be joined; not to separate; to remain in union. Dryden. Locke. — To hold up. (a) To support one's self; to remain unbent or unbroken; as, to hold up under misfortunes. (b) To cease raining; to cease to stop; as, it holds up. Hudibras. (c) To keep up; not to fall behind; not to lose ground. Collier.
HOLD
Hold, n.