To hold means to have something in your hands or arms and keep it there. You hold a pencil when you write, hold your backpack by its straps, or hold a friend's hand while crossing the street. A quarterback holds the football before throwing it, and a musician holds her violin under her chin.

The word also describes keeping something in place or maintaining control over it. A fort might hold out against attackers, meaning the defenders successfully keep control despite the assault. When you hold your breath underwater, you keep the air in your lungs. If you hold a secret, you keep it to yourself.

Hold can mean to contain or have room for something. A jar holds cookies, a stadium holds thousands of fans, and your brain holds memories and knowledge. When someone says “hold on,” they're asking you to wait or keep doing what you're doing, like holding onto a rope.

The word appears in many useful phrases: get a hold of means to grab or contact someone, while take hold means to become established or effective. When an idea takes hold in your mind, it sticks with you and starts influencing your thinking. A stronghold is a place that's well defended and hard to capture.

As a noun, a hold is a grip or a way of holding on, like getting a good hold on a railing. On a ship or airplane, the hold is the space where cargo is stored.