What is "to hold off"

Hold \Hold\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Held; p. pr. & vb. n. Holding. Holden, p. p., is obs. in elegant writing, though still used in legal language.] [OE. haldan, D. houden, OHG. hoten, Icel. halda, Dan. holde, Sw. h[*a]lla, Goth. haldan to feed, tend (the cattle); of unknown origin. Gf. Avast, Halt, Hod.]

1. To cause to remain in a given situation, position, or relation, within certain limits, or the like; to prevent from falling or escaping; to sustain; to restrain; to keep in the grasp; to retain.

   The loops held one curtain to another.
   --Ex. xxxvi. 1

2. 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.

   2. To retain in one's keeping; to maintain possession of, or authority over; not to give up or relinquish; to keep; to defend.

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

3. To have; to possess; to be in possession of; to occupy; to derive title to; as, to hold office.

   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.

4. To impose restraint upon; to limit in motion or action; to bind legally or morally; to confine; to restrain.

   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.

5. To maintain in being or action; to carry on; to prosecute, as a course of conduct or an argument; to continue; to sustain.

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

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

6. To prosecute, have, take, or join in, as something which is the result of united action; as to, hold a meeting, a festival, a session, etc.; hence, to direct and bring about officially; to conduct or preside at; as, the general held a council of war; a judge holds a court; a clergyman holds a service.

   I would hold more talk with thee.
   --Shak.

7. To receive and retain; to contain as a vessel; as, this pail holds milk; hence, to be able to receive and retain; to have capacity or containing power for.

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

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

8. To accept, as an opinion; to be the adherent of, openly or privately; to persist in, as a purpose; to maintain; to sustain.

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

   But still he held his purpose to depart.
   --Dryden.

9. To consider; to regard; to esteem; to account; to think; to judge.

   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.

10. To bear, carry, or manage; as he holds himself erect; he holds his head high. Let him hold his fingers thus. --Shak. To hold a wager, to lay or hazard a wager. --Swift. To hold forth,

    1. v. t.to offer; to exhibit; to propose; to put forward. ``The propositions which books hold forth and pretend to teach.''
       --Locke.

    2. v. i. To talk at length; to harangue. 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. 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.

       1. To extend; to offer. ``Fortune holds out these to you as rewards.''
          --B. Jonson.

       2. To continue to do or to suffer; to endure. ``He can not long hold out these pangs.'' --Shak. To hold up.

          1. To raise; to lift; as, hold up your head.

          2. To support; to sustain. ``He holds himself up in virtue.''
             --Sir P. Sidney.

    3. To exhibit; to display; as, he was held up as an example.

    4. To rein in; to check; to halt; as, hold up your horses.

    5. to rob, usually at gunpoint; -- often with the demand to ``hold up'' the hands.

    6. To delay. To hold water.

       1. 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. [Colloq.]

       2. (Naut.) To hold the oars steady in the water, thus checking the headway of a boat.

Hold \Hold\, v. i. In general, to keep one's self in a given position or condition; to remain fixed. Hence:

1. Not to move; to halt; to stop; -- mostly in the imperative.

   And damned be him that first cries, ``Hold, enough!''
   --Shak.

2. Not to give way; not to part or become separated; to remain unbroken or unsubdued.

   Our force by land hath nobly held.
   --Shak.

3. Not to fail or be found wanting; to continue; to last; to endure a test or trial; to abide; to persist.

   While our obedience holds.
   --Milton.

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

4. Not to fall away, desert, or prove recreant; to remain attached; to cleave; -- often with with, to, or for.

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

5. To restrain one's self; to refrain.

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

6. To derive right or title; -- generally with of. 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 To hold 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.

   1. To support one's self; to remain unbent or unbroken; as, to hold up under misfortunes.

   2. To cease raining; to cease to stop; as, it holds up.
      --Hudibras.

   3. To keep up; not to fall behind; not to lose ground.
      --Collier.