The loops held one curtain to another. Ex. xxxvi. 12.

Thy right hand shall hold me. Ps. cxxxix. 10.

They all hold swords, being expert in war. Cant. iii. 8.

In vain he seeks, that having can not hold. Spenser.

France, thou mayst hold a serpent by the tongue, . . .
A fasting tiger safer by the tooth,
Than keep in peace that hand which thou dost hold. Shak.

We mean to hold what anciently we claim
Of deity or empire. Milton.

This noble merchant held a noble house. Chaucer.

Of him to hold his seigniory for a yearly tribute. Knolles.

And now the strand, and now the plain, they held. Dryden.

We can not hold mortality's strong hand. Shak.

Death! what do'st? O, hold thy blow. Grashaw.

He had not sufficient judgment and self-command to hold his tongue. Macaulay.

Hold not thy peace, and be not still. Ps. lxxxiii. 1.

Seedtime and harvest, heat and hoary frost,
Shall hold their course. Milton.

I would hold more talk with thee. Shak.

Broken cisterns that can hold no water. Jer. ii. 13.

One sees more devils than vast hell can hold. Shak.

Stand fast and hold the traditions which ye have been taught. 2 Thes. ii.15.

But still he held his purpose to depart. Dryden.

I hold him but a fool. Shak.

I shall never hold that man my friend. Shak.

The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Ex. xx. 7.

Let him hold his fingers thus. Shak.

To hold a wager, to lay or hazard a wager. Swift. -- To hold forth, to offer; to exhibit; to propose; to put forward. "The propositions which books hold forth and pretend to teach." Locke. -- To held in, to restrain; to curd. -- To hold in hand, to toy with; to keep in expectation; to have in one's power. [Obs.]

O, fie! to receive favors, return falsehoods,
And hold a lady in hand. Beaw. *** Fl.

-- To hold in play, to keep under control] to dally with. Macaulay. -- To hold off, to keep at a distance. -- To hold on, to hold in being, continuance or position; as, to hold a rider on. -- To hold one's day, to keep one's appointment. [Obs.] Chaucer. -- To hold one's own. (a) To keep good one's present condition absolutely or relatively; not to fall off, or to lose ground; as, a ship holds her own when she does not lose ground in a race or chase; a man holds his own when he does not lose strength or weight. -- To hold one's peace, to keep silence.- To hold out. (a) To extend; to offer. "Fortune holds out these to you as rewards." B. Jonson. (b) To continue to do or to suffer; to endure. "He can not long hold out these pangs." Shak. -- To hold up. (a) To raise; to lift; as, hold up your head. (b) To support; to sustain. "He holds himself up in virtue."Sir P. Sidney. (c) To exhibit; to display; as, he was held up as an example. (d) To rein in; to check; to halt; as, hold up your horses. -- To hold water. (a) Literally, to retain water without leaking; hence (Fig.), to be whole, sound, consistent, without gaps or holes; -- commonly used in a negative sense; as, his statements will not hold water. [Collog.] (b) (Naut.) To hold the oars steady in the water, thus checking the headway of a boat.

And damned be him that first cries, "Hold, enough!" Shak.

Our force by land hath nobly held. Shak.

While our obedience holds. Milton.

The rule holds in land as all other commodities. Locke.

He will hold to the one and despise the other. Matt. vi. 24

His dauntless heart would fain have held
From weeping, but his eyes rebelled. Dryden.

My crown is absolute, and holds of none. Dryden.

His imagination holds immediately from nature. Hazlitt.

Hold on! Hold up! wait; stop; forbear. [Collog] -- To hold forth, to speak in public; to harangue; to preach. L'Estrange. -- To hold in, to restrain one's self; as, he wanted to laugh and could hardly hold in. -- To hold off, to keep at a distance. -- To hold on, to keep fast hold; to continue; to go on. "The trade held on for many years," Swift. -- To hold out, to last; to endure; to continue; to maintain one's self; not to yield or give way. -- To hold over, to remain in office, possession, etc., beyond a certain date. -- To hold to or with, to take sides with, as a person or opinion. -- To hold together, to be joined; not to separate; to remain in union. Dryden. Locke. -- To hold up. (a) To support one's self; to remain unbent or unbroken; as, to hold up under misfortunes. (b) To cease raining; to cease to stop; as, it holds up. Hudibras. (c) To keep up; not to fall behind; not to lose ground. Collier.

Ne have I not twelve pence within mine hold. Chaucer.

Thou should'st lay hold upon him. B. Jonson.

My soul took hold on thee. Addison.

Take fast hold of instruction. Pror. iv. 13.

The law hath yet another hold on you. Shak.

Fear . . . by which God and his laws take the surest hold of. Tillotson.

If a man be upon an high place without rails or good hold, he is ready to fall. Bacon.

They . . . put them in hold unto the next day. Acts. iv. 3.

King Richard, he is in the mighty hold
Of Bolingbroke. Shak.

New comers in an ancient hold Tennyson.