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Definition of 'To hold off'

From: GCIDE

Hold \Hold\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Held; p. pr. & vb. n. Holding. Holden, p. p., is obs. in elegant writing, though still used in legal language.] [OE. haldan, D. houden, OHG. hoten, Icel. halda, Dan. holde, Sw. h[*a]lla, Goth. haldan to feed, tend (the cattle); of unknown origin. Gf. Avast, Halt, Hod.] [1913 Webster]
1. To cause to remain in a given situation, position, or relation, within certain limits, or the like; to prevent from falling or escaping; to sustain; to restrain; to keep in the grasp; to retain. [1913 Webster]
The loops held one curtain to another. --Ex. xxxvi. 12. [1913 Webster]
Thy right hand shall hold me. --Ps. cxxxix. 10. [1913 Webster]
They all hold swords, being expert in war. --Cant. iii. 8. [1913 Webster]
In vain he seeks, that having can not hold. --Spenser. [1913 Webster]
France, thou mayst hold a serpent by the tongue, . . . A fasting tiger safer by the tooth, Than keep in peace that hand which thou dost hold. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
2. To retain in one's keeping; to maintain possession of, or authority over; not to give up or relinquish; to keep; to defend. [1913 Webster]
We mean to hold what anciently we claim Of deity or empire. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
3. To have; to possess; to be in possession of; to occupy; to derive title to; as, to hold office. [1913 Webster]
This noble merchant held a noble house. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]
Of him to hold his seigniory for a yearly tribute. --Knolles. [1913 Webster]
And now the strand, and now the plain, they held. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]
4. To impose restraint upon; to limit in motion or action; to bind legally or morally; to confine; to restrain. [1913 Webster]
We can not hold mortality's strong hand. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
Death! what do'st? O, hold thy blow. --Grashaw. [1913 Webster]
He had not sufficient judgment and self-command to hold his tongue. --Macaulay. [1913 Webster]
5. To maintain in being or action; to carry on; to prosecute, as a course of conduct or an argument; to continue; to sustain. [1913 Webster]
Hold not thy peace, and be not still. --Ps. lxxxiii. 1. [1913 Webster]
Seedtime and harvest, heat and hoary frost, Shall hold their course. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
6. To prosecute, have, take, or join in, as something which is the result of united action; as to, hold a meeting, a festival, a session, etc.; hence, to direct and bring about officially; to conduct or preside at; as, the general held a council of war; a judge holds a court; a clergyman holds a service. [1913 Webster]
I would hold more talk with thee. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
7. To receive and retain; to contain as a vessel; as, this pail holds milk; hence, to be able to receive and retain; to have capacity or containing power for. [1913 Webster]
Broken cisterns that can hold no water. --Jer. ii. 13. [1913 Webster]
One sees more devils than vast hell can hold. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
8. To accept, as an opinion; to be the adherent of, openly or privately; to persist in, as a purpose; to maintain; to sustain. [1913 Webster]
Stand fast and hold the traditions which ye have been taught. --2 Thes. ii.15. [1913 Webster]
But still he held his purpose to depart. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]
9. To consider; to regard; to esteem; to account; to think; to judge. [1913 Webster]
I hold him but a fool. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
I shall never hold that man my friend. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. --Ex. xx. 7. [1913 Webster]
10. To bear, carry, or manage; as he holds himself erect; he holds his head high. [1913 Webster]
Let him hold his fingers thus. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
To hold a wager, to lay or hazard a wager. --Swift.
To hold forth, (a) v. t.to offer; to exhibit; to propose; to put forward. "The propositions which books hold forth and pretend to teach." --Locke. (b) v. i. To talk at length; to harangue.
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.] [1913 Webster]
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. 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. (e) to rob, usually at gunpoint; -- often with the demand to "hold up" the hands. (f) To delay.
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. [Colloq.] (b) (Naut.) To hold the oars steady in the water, thus checking the headway of a boat. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'To hold off'

From: GCIDE

Hold \Hold\, v. i. In general, to keep one's self in a given position or condition; to remain fixed. Hence: [1913 Webster]
1. Not to move; to halt; to stop; -- mostly in the imperative. [1913 Webster]
And damned be him that first cries, "Hold, enough!" --Shak. [1913 Webster]
2. Not to give way; not to part or become separated; to remain unbroken or unsubdued. [1913 Webster]
Our force by land hath nobly held. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
3. Not to fail or be found wanting; to continue; to last; to endure a test or trial; to abide; to persist. [1913 Webster]
While our obedience holds. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
The rule holds in land as all other commodities. --Locke. [1913 Webster]
4. Not to fall away, desert, or prove recreant; to remain attached; to cleave; -- often with with, to, or for. [1913 Webster]
He will hold to the one and despise the other. --Matt. vi. 24 [1913 Webster]
5. To restrain one's self; to refrain. [1913 Webster]
His dauntless heart would fain have held From weeping, but his eyes rebelled. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]
6. To derive right or title; -- generally with of. [1913 Webster]
My crown is absolute, and holds of none. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]
His imagination holds immediately from nature. --Hazlitt. [1913 Webster]
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 To hold 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. [1913 Webster]

'To hold off' definitions:

Definition of 'To hold off'

Definition of 'To hold off'

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