verb

hold

Translation

to hold, to grasp, to contain, to host

Please hold my hand.

The bottle holds one liter.

The bottle holds one litre.

We will hold a meeting tomorrow.

Hold the line, please.

((sth.)) to grasp (sth.) in one's hands She held the book tightly.

((sth.)) to contain (sth.) This jug holds two pints of water.

((sth.)) to organize (an event) The school holds a festival every year.

Synonyms: grasp, clutch, contain, host

From Old English 'haldan', meaning 'to keep, to rule'. The core idea is keeping something under control.

Think of 'holding' a cup. This idea extends to 'holding' a meeting (organizing it) or 'holding' an opinion (maintaining it).