To hold water in the figurative sense "be sound or consistent throughout" is from 1620s. 1200, originally of marriage but also of real estate. To have and to hold have been paired alliteratively at least since c. To hold (one's) horses "be patient" is from 1842, American English the notion is of keeping a tight grip on the reins. (a.) Halting or stopping in walking lame. To hold (someone's) hand in the figurative sense of "give moral support" is from 1935. t.) To cause to cease marching to stop as, the general halted his troops for refreshment. To hold (one's) tongue "be silent" is from c. 21 How long halt ye between two opinions ( label) To be lame, faulty, or defective, as in connection with ideas, or in measure, or in versification. ( label) To stand in doubt whether to proceed, or what to do hesitate be uncertain linger delay mammer. How did the cars driver know he was there It was daytime. ( en verb ) ( label) To limp move with a limping gait. as "to maintain one's course," 1830 as "to keep one's grip on something," 1846 as an order to wait or stop. Suddenly, a large black car with no lights on comes around the corner and screeches to a halt. Hold back in the figurative senses is from 1530s (transitive) 1570s (intransitive). The modern use in the sense "lock up, keep in custody" is from 1903. The original past participle holden was replaced by held beginning 16c., but survives in some legal jargon and in beholden. Middle English halten, to limp, from Old English healtian. To be defective or proceed poorly, as in the development of an argument in logic or in the rhythmic structure of verse. To proceed or act with uncertainty or indecision waver. Middle English holden, earlier halden, from Old English haldan (Anglian), healdan (West Saxon), "to contain to grasp to retain (liquid, etc.) to observe, fulfill (a custom, etc.) to have as one's own to have in mind (of opinions, etc.) to possess, control, rule to detain, lock up to foster, cherish, keep watch over to continue in existence or action to keep back from action," class VII strong verb (past tense heold, past participle healden), from Proto-Germanic *haldanan (source also of Old Saxon haldan, Old Frisian halda, Old Norse halda, Dutch houden, German halten "to hold," Gothic haldan "to tend").īased on the Gothic sense (also present as a secondary sense in Old English), the verb is presumed originally in Germanic to have meant "to keep, tend, watch over" (as grazing cattle), later "to have." Ancestral sense is preserved in behold. To walk lamely or move in an irregular fashion.
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