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[hold] See: GET HOLD OF, LAY HOLD OF, LEAVE HOLDING THE BAG or LEAVE HOLDING THE SACK.

[hold a brief for] <v. phr.> To argue in support of; defend. Usually used with a negative. * /I hold no brief for John, but I do not think he was responsible for the accident./ * /The lawyer said he held no brief for thievery, but he considered the man should he given another chance./

[hold a candle to] also [hold a stick to] <v. phr.> To be fit to be compared with; be in the same class with. - A trite phrase used in negative, interrogative, and conditional sentences. * /Henry thought that no modern ball club could hold a candle to those of 50 years ago./

[hold all the trumps] <v. phr.> To have the best chance of winning; have all the advantages; have full control. * /Most of the team wants John for captain and he is the best player. He will he elected captain because he holds all the trumps./ * /Freddy has a quarter and I have no money, so he holds all the trumps and can buy whatever he wants with it./

[hold back] <v.> 1. To stay back or away; show unwillingness. * /The visitor tried to gel the child to come to her, but he held back./ * /John held back from social activity because he felt embarrassed with people./ 2. To keep someone in place; prevent from acting. * /The police held back the crowd./

[hold court] <v. phr.> 1. To hold a formal meeting of a royal court or a court of law. * /Judge Stephens allowed no foolishness when he held court./ 2. <informal> To act like a king or queen among subjects. * /Even at sixteen, Judy was holding court for numbers of charmed boys./

[hold down] <v.> 1. To keep in obedience; keep control of; continue authority or rule over. * /Kings used to know very well how to hold down the people./ 2. <informal> To work satisfactorily at. * /John had held down a tough job for a long time./

[hold everything] See: HOLD IT.

[hold fire] See: HOLD ONE'S FIRE.

[hold forth] <v.> 1. To offer; propose. * /As a candidate, Jones held forth the promise of a bright future./ 2. To speak in public; preach. - Usually used with little respect. * /Senator Smith was holding forth on free trade./

[hold good] <v.> 1. To continue to be good; last. * /The coupon on the cereal box offered a free toy, but the offer held good only till the end of the year./ * /Attendance at the basketball games held good all winter./ 2. To continue; endure: last. * /The demand for new houses held good all that year./ * /The agreement between the schools held good for three years./ See: HOLD TRUE.

[hold it] or [hold everything] <v. phr.>, <informal> To stop something one is doing or getting ready to do. - Usually used as a command. * /The pilot was starting to take off, when the control tower ordered "Hold it!"/

[hold off] <v.> 1a. To refuse to let (someone) become friendly. * /The president's high rank and chilly manner held people off./ Compare: KEEP AT A DISTANCE. 1b. To be rather shy or unfriendly. * /Perkins was a scholarly man who held off from people./ Compare: KEEP AT A DISTANCE. 2. To keep away by fighting; oppose by force. * /The man locked himself in the house and held off the police for an hour./ 3. To wait before (doing something); postpone; delay. * /Jack held off paying for the television set until the dealer fixed it./ * /Mr. Smith held off from building while interest rates were high./

[hold on] <v.> 1. To keep holding tightly; continue to hold strongly. * /As Ted was pulling on the rope, it began to slip and Earl cried, "Hold on, Ted!"/ Syn.: HANG ON. 2. To wait and not hang up a telephone; keep a phone for later use. * /Mr. Jones asked me to hold on while he spoke to his secretary./ 3. To keep on with a business or job in spite of difficulties. * /It was hard to keep the store going during the depression, but Max held on and at last met with success./ 4. <informal> To wait a minute; stop. - Usually used as a command. * /"Hold on!" John's father said, "I want the car tonight."/

[hold one's breath] <v. phr.> 1. To stop breathing for a moment when you are excited or nervous. * /The race was so close that everyone was holding his breath at the finish./ 2. To endure great nervousness, anxiety, or excitement. * /John held his breath for days before he got word that the college he chose had accepted him./

[hold one's end up] or [hold up one's end] or [keep one's end up] or [keep up one's end] <v. phr.>, <informal> To do your share of work; do your part. * /Mary washed the dishes so fast that Ann, who was drying them, couldn't keep her end up./ * /Susan kept up her end of the conversation, but Bill did not talk very much./ * /Bob said he would lend me his bicycle if I repaired the flat tire, but he didn't keep up his end of the bargain./

[hold one's fire] or [hold fire] <v. phr.> To keep back arguments or facts; keep from telling something. * /Tow could have hurt Fred by telling what he knew, but he held his fire./ * /Mary held fire until she had enough information to convince the other club members./

[hold one's head up] <v. phr.> To show self-respect; not be ashamed; be proud. * /When Mr. Murray had paid off his debts, he felt that he could hold his head up again./

[hold one's horses] <v. phr.>, <informal> To stop; wait; be patient. - Usually used as a command. May be considered rude. * /"Hold your horses!" Mr. Jones said to David when David wanted to call the police./

[hold one's nose to the grindstone] See: KEEP ONE'S NOSE TO THE GRINDSTONE.

[hold one's own] <v. phr.> To keep your position; avoid losing ground; keep your advantage, wealth, or condition without loss. * /Mr. Smith could not build up his business, but he held his own./ * /The team held its own after the first quarter./ * /Mary had a hard time after the operation, but soon she was holding her own./

[hold one's peace] <v. phr.>, <formal> To be silent and not speak against something; be still; keep quiet. * /I did not agree with the teacher, but held my peace as he was rather angry./ Compare: HOLD ONE'S TONGUE

[hold one's temper] or [keep one's temper] <v. phr.> To make yourself be quiet and peaceful; not become angry. * /The meeting will go smoothly if the president keeps his temper./ * /Dave can't keep his temper when he drives in heavy traffic./ Contrast: LOSE ONE'S TEMPER, BLOW ONE'S STACK.

[hold one's tongue] <v. phr.> To be silent; keep still; not talk. May be considered rude. * /The teacher told Fred to hold his tongue./ * /If people would hold their tongues from unkind speech, fewer people would be hurt/

[hold on to] <v. phr.> 1a. or [hold to] To continue to hold or keep; hold tightly. * /When Jane played horse with her father, she held on to him tightly./ * /The teacher said that if we believed something was true and good we should hold on to it./ * /The old man held on to his job stubbornly and would not retire./ 1b. To stay in control of. * /Ann was so frightened that she had to hold on to herself not to scream./ Contrast: LET GO. 2. To continue to sing or sound. * /The singer held on to the last note of the song for a long time./

[hold on to your hat] See: HANG ON TO YOUR HAT.

[holdout] <n.> A rebel who refuses to go with the majority. * /Sam was a lone holdout in town; he refused to sell his old lakefront cottage to make place for a skyscraper./

[hold out] <v. phr.> 1. To put forward; reach out; extend; offer. * /Mr. Ryan held out his hand in welcome./ * /The clerk held out a dress for Martha to try on./ * /The Company held out many fine promises to Jack in order to get him to work for them./ 2. To keep resisting; not yield; refuse to give up. * /The city held out for six months under siege./ Compare: HANG ON, HOLD ON. 3. To refuse to agree or settle until one's wishes have been agreed to. * /The strikers held out for a raise of five cents an hour./ 4. <slang> To keep something from; refuse information or belongings to which someone has a right. * /Mr. Porters partner held out on him when the big payment came in./ * /Mother gave Bobby cookies for all the children in the yard, but he held out on them and ate the cookies himself./ * /John knew that the family would go to the beach Saturday, but he held out on his brother./

[hold out an olive branch] See: BURY THE HATCHET.

[holdover] <n.> 1. A successful movie or theater production that plays longer than originally planned. * /Because of its great popularity. Star Wars was a holdover in most movie theaters./ 2. A reservation not used at the lime intended, but used later. * /They kept my seat at the opera as a holdover because I am a patron./

[hold over] <v.> 1. To remain or keep in office past the end of the term. * /The city treasurer held over for six months when the new treasurer died suddenly./ * /The new President held the members of the Cabinet over for some time before appointing new members./ 2. To extend the engagement of; keep longer. * /The theater held over the feature film for another two weeks./ 3. To delay action on; to postpone: to defer. * /The directors held over their decision until they could get more information./

[hold still] <v. phr.> To remain motionless. * /"Hold still," the dentist said. "This won't hurt you at all."/

[hold the bag] <v. phr.> To be made liable for or victimized. * /We went out to dinner together but when it was time to pay I was left holding the bag./

[hold the fort] <v. phr.> 1. To defend a fort successfully; fight off attackers. * /The little group held the fort for days until help came./ 2. <informal> To keep a position against opposing forces. * /Friends of civil liberties held the fort during a long debate./ 3. <informal> to keep service or operations going * /It was Christmas Eve, and a few workers held the fort in the office./ * /Mother and Father went out and told the children to hold the fort./

[hold the line] <v. phr.> To keep a situation or trouble from getting worse; hold steady; prevent a setback or loss. * /The mayor held the line on taxes./ * /The company held the line on employment./

[hold the stage] [v. phr.] 1. To continue to be produced and to attract audiences. * /"Peter Pan" holds the stage year after year at its annual Christmas showing in London./ 2. To be active in a group; attract attention. * /We had only an hour to discuss the question and Mr. Jones held the stage for most of it./ * /Jane likes to hold the stage at any party or meeting, so she does and says anything./

[hold to] See: HOLD ON TO.

[hold true] or [hold good] <v. phr.> To remain true. * /It has always held true that man cannot live without laws./ * /Bob is a good boy and that holds true of Jim./

[holdup] <n.> 1. Robbery. * /John fell victim to a highway holdup./ 2. A delay, as on a crowded highway. * /Boy we're late! What's causing this holdup?/

[hold up] <v.> 1. To raise; lift. * /John held up his hand./ 2. To support; hear; carry. * /The chair was too weak to hold up Mrs. Smith./ 3. To show; call attention to; exhibit. * /The teacher held up excellent models of composition for her class to imitate./ 4. To check; stop; delay. * /The wreck held up traffic on the railroad's main line tracks./ 5. <informal> To rob at gunpoint. * /Masked men held up the bank./ 6. To keep one's courage or spirits up; remain calm; keep control of oneself. * /The grieving mother held up for her children's sake./ 7. To remain good; not get worse. * /Sales held up well./ * /Our team's luck held up and they won the game./ * /The weather held up and the game was played./ 8. To prove true. * /The police were doubtful at first, but Tony's story held up./ 9. To delay action; defer; postpone. Often used with "on". * /The college held up on plans for the building until more money came in./ * /The President held up on the news until he was sure of it./

[hold up one's end] See: HOLD ONE'S END UP.

[hold water] <v. phr.> 1. To keep water without leaking. * /That pail still holds water./ 2. <informal> To prove true; stand testing; bear examination. - Usually used in negative, interrogative, or conditional sentences. * /Ernest told the police a story that wouldn't hold water./

[hold your hat] See: HANG ON TO YOUR HAT.

[hole] See: ACE IN THE HOLE, BURN A HOLE IN ONE'S POCKET, IN A HOLE or IN A SPOT, IN THE HOLE, OUT OF THE HOLE, SQUARE PEG IN A ROUND HOLE.

[hole in] See: HOLE UP.

[hole in one] <n. phr.> A shot in golf that is hit from the tee and goes right into the cup. * /Many golfers play for years before they get a hole in one./

[hole-in-the-wall] <n. phr.> A small place to live, stay in, or work in; a small, hidden, or inferior place. * /The jewelry store occupied a tiny hole-in-the-wall./ * /When Mr. and Mrs. Green were first married, they lived in a little hole-in-fhe-wall in a cheap apartment building./ 2. <slang>, <citizen's band radio jargon>. A tunnel. * /Let's get through this hole in the wall, then we'll change seats./

[hole out] <v.> To finish play in golf by hitting the ball into the cup. * /The other players waited for Palmer to hole out before they putted./

[hole up] also [hole in] <v.>, <slang> To take refuge or shelter; put up; lodge. * /After a day's motoring, Harry found a room for rent and holed up for the night./ * /The thief holed up at an abandoned farm./ * /"Let's hole in," said Father as we came to a motel that looked good./

[holiday] See: HALF-HOLIDAY.

[holier-than-thou] <adj.> Acting as if you are better than others in goodness, character, or reverence for God; acting as if morally better than other people. * /Most people find holier-than-thou actions in others hard to accept./ * /After Mr. Howard stopped smoking, he had a holier-than-thou manner toward his friends who still smoked./

[holistic health] <n.>, <informal>, <semi-technical> The maintenance of health and the avoidance of disease through such psychogenic practices and procedures as biofeedback, meditation, alternative methods of childbirth, and avoidance of drugs. * /The Murgatroyds are regular holistic health freaks - why, they won't even take aspirin when they have a headache./

[holler before one is hurt] See: CRY BEFORE ONE IS HURT.

[hollow] See: BEAT ALL HOLLOW also BEAT HOLLOW.

[hollow out] <v.> To cut or dig out or to cut or dig a hole in; make a cut or cave in; excavate. * /The soldier hollowed out a foxhole in the ground to lie in./ * /The Indians used to hollow out a log to make a canoe./ * /Joe's father hollowed out a pumpkin to make a jack-o-lantern./

[holy cats] or [holy cow] or [holy mackerel] or [holy Moses] <interj.>, <informal> - Used to express strong feeling (as astonishment, pleasure, or anger); used in speech or when writing conversation. * /"Holy cats! That's good pie!" said Dick./ * /"Holy cow! They can't do that!" Mary said when she saw the boys hurting a much smaller boy./

[holy terror] <n.>, <informal> A very disobedient or unruly child; brat. * /All the children are afraid of Johnny because he's a holy terror./

[home] See: AT HOME, BRING HOME, BRING HOME THE BACON, CHICKENS COME HOME TO ROOST, CLOSE TO HOME, CONVALESCENT HOME or NURSING HOME or REST HOME, KEEP THE HOME FIRES BURNING, MAKE ONESELF AT HOME, NOBODY HOME, WRITE HOME ABOUT.