hold in WordNet English dictionary

1. have room for; hold without crowding
   "This hotel can accommodate 250 guests"; "The theater admits 300 people"; "The auditorium can't hold more than 500 people"
   accommodate  hold  admit 
   
2. declare to be
   "She was declared incompetent"; "judge held that the defendant was innocent"
   declare  adjudge  hold 
   
3. be in accord; be in agreement
   "We agreed on the terms of the settlement"; "I can't agree with you!"; "I hold with those who say life is sacred"; "Both philosophers concord on this point"
   agree  hold  concur  concord 
   
4. be pertinent or relevant or applicable
   "The same laws apply to you!"; "This theory holds for all irrational numbers"; "The same rules go for everyone"
   apply  hold  go for 
   
5. cause to stop
   "Halt the engines"; "Arrest the progress"; "halt the presses"
   halt  hold  arrest 
   
6. support or hold in a certain manner
   "She holds her head high"; "He carried himself upright"
   hold  carry  bear 
   
7. have rightfully; of rights, titles, and offices
   "She bears the title of Duchess"; "He held the governorship for almost a decade"
   bear  hold 
   
8. contain or hold; have within
   "The jar carries wine"; "The canteen holds fresh water"; "This can contains water"
   hold  bear  carry  contain 
   
9. bind by an obligation; cause to be indebted
   "He's held by a contract"; "I'll hold you by your promise"
   oblige  bind  hold  obligate 
   
10. arrange for and reserve (something for someone else) in advance
    "reserve me a seat on a flight"; "The agent booked tickets to the show for the whole family"; "please hold a table at Maxim's"
    reserve  hold  book 
    
11. drink alcohol without showing ill effects
    "He can hold his liquor"; "he had drunk more than he could carry"
    carry  hold 
    
12. lessen the intensity of; temper; hold in restraint; hold or keep within limits
    "moderate your alcohol intake"; "hold your tongue"; "hold your temper"; "control your anger"
    control  hold in  hold  contain  check  curb  moderate 
    
13. to close within bounds, limit or hold back from movement
    "This holds the local until the express passengers change trains"; "About a dozen animals were held inside the stockade"; "The illegal immigrants were held at a detention center"; "The terrorists held the journalists for ransom"
    restrain  confine  hold 
    
14. be capable of holding or containing
    "This box won't take all the items"; "The flask holds one gallon"
    contain  take  hold 
    
15. keep in mind or convey as a conviction or view
    "take for granted"; "view as important"; "hold these truths to be self-evident"; "I hold him personally responsible"
    deem  hold  view as  take for 
    
16. protect against a challenge or attack
    "Hold that position behind the trees!"; "Hold the bridge against the enemy's attacks"
    defend  guard  hold 
    
17. resist or confront with resistance
    "The politician defied public opinion"; "The new material withstands even the greatest wear and tear"; "The bridge held"
    defy  withstand  hold  hold up 
    
18. maintain (a theory, thoughts, or feelings)
    "bear a grudge"; "entertain interesting notions"; "harbor a resentment"
    harbor  harbour  hold  entertain  nurse 
    
19. organize or be responsible for
    "hold a reception"; "have, throw, or make a party"; "give a course"
    hold  throw  have  make  give 
    
20. have or possess, either in a concrete or an abstract sense
    "She has $1,000 in the bank"; "He has got two beautiful daughters"; "She holds a Master's degree from Harvard"
    have  have got  hold 
    
21. keep from exhaling or expelling
    "hold your breath"
    hold 
    
22. hold the attention of
    "The soprano held the audience"; "This story held our interest"; "She can hold an audience spellbound"
    hold 
    
23. assert or affirm
    "Rousseau's philosophy holds that people are inherently good"
    hold 
    
24. remain committed to
    "I hold to these ideas"
    hold 
    
25. aim, point, or direct
    "Hold the fire extinguisher directly on the flames"
    hold 
    
26. have or hold in one's hands or grip
    "Hold this bowl for a moment, please"; "A crazy idea took hold of him"
    hold  take hold 
    
27. be the physical support of; carry the weight of
    "The beam holds up the roof"; "He supported me with one hand while I balanced on the beam"; "What's holding that mirror?"
    hold  support  sustain  hold up 
    
28. cover as for protection against noise or smell
    "She held her ears when the jackhammer started to operate"; "hold one's nose"
    hold 
    
29. secure and keep for possible future use or application
    "The landlord retained the security deposit"; "I reserve the right to disagree"
    retain  hold  keep back  hold back 
    
30. keep from departing
    "Hold the taxi"; "Hold the horse"
    hold 
    
31. take and maintain control over, often by violent means
    "The dissatisfied students held the President's office for almost a week"
    hold 
    
32. keep in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., "keep clean"
    "hold in place"; "She always held herself as a lady"; "The students keep me on my toes"
    keep  maintain  hold 
    
33. remain in a certain state, position, or condition
    "The weather held"; "They held on the road and kept marching"
    hold 
    
34. be valid, applicable, or true
    "This theory still holds"
    prevail  hold  obtain 
    
35. have as a major characteristic
    "The novel holds many surprises"; "The book holds in store much valuable advise"
    hold 
    
36. stop dealing with
    "hold all calls to the President's office while he is in a meeting"
    hold 
    

1. understanding of the nature or meaning or quality or magnitude of something
   "he has a good grasp of accounting practices"
   appreciation  grasp  hold 
   
2. the space in a ship or aircraft for storing cargo
   cargo area  cargo deck  cargo hold  hold  storage area 
   
3. the act of grasping
   "he released his clasp on my arm"; "he has a strong grip for an old man"; "she kept a firm hold on the railing"
   clasp  clench  clutch  clutches  grasp  grip  hold 
   
4. a state of being confined (usually for a short time)
   "his detention was politically motivated"; "the prisoner is on hold"; "he is in the custody of police"
   detention  detainment  hold  custody 
   
5. time during which some action is awaited
   "instant replay caused too long a delay"; "he ordered a hold in the action"
   delay  hold  time lag  postponement  wait 
   
6. the appendage to an object that is designed to be held in order to use or move it
   "he grabbed the hammer by the handle"; "it was an old briefcase but it still had a good grip"
   handle  grip  handgrip  hold 
   
7. a cell in a jail or prison
   hold  keep 
   
8. a stronghold
   hold 
   
9. power by which something or someone is affected or dominated
   "he has a hold over them"
   hold