hold

1. (transitive) To grasp or grip.Examples: "Hold the pencil like this."; "But then I had the flintlock by me for protection. ¶ There were giants in the days when that gun was made; for surely no modern mortal could have held that mass of metal steady to his shoulder. The linen-press and a chest on the top of it formed, however, a very good gun-carriage; and, thus mounted, aim could be taken out of the window[…]."; "The slightest effort made the patient cough. He would stand leaning on a stick and holding a hand to his side, and when the paroxysm had passed it left him shaking."Synonyms: clasp, grasp, grip, beclasp, begrasp, begrip, belock, clasptransitive

2. (transitive) To contain or store.Examples: "This package holds six bottles."transitive

3. (heading) To maintain or keep to a position or state.Examples: "Hold my coat for me."; "The general ordered the colonel to hold his position at all costs."; "She was Nicolas Sarkozy's pin-up for diversity, the first Muslim woman with north African parents to hold a major French government post. But Rachida Dati has now turned on her own party elite with such ferocity that some have suggested she should be expelled from the president's ruling party."Synonyms: owntransitive

4. (heading) To maintain or keep to a position or state.Examples: "Hold a table for us at 7:00."transitive

5. (heading) To maintain or keep to a position or state.Examples: "Hold the elevator."transitive

6. (heading) To maintain or keep to a position or state.Examples: "Hold the suspect in this cell."transitive