hold together

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

Verb

hold together (third-person singular simple present holds together, present participle holding together, simple past and past participle held together)

1. (transitive) To cause to stay together.
   • a. 1225, The Legend of St Katherine, l. 2268:

     Porphire & alle hise heolden ham togederes.

   • 1785, William Cowper, "Task", ll. 687 f.:

     ...the sacred band
     That holds mankind together...

2. (figuratively, idiomatic) Synonym of hold it together: to cope with adversity.
3. (intransitive) To stay together.
   • c. 1330, Amis and Amiloun, ll. 151 f.:

     ...That thai schuld frely fond,
     To hold togider at eueri nede...

   • 1861, Temple Bar, No. 3, p. 509:

     There was hope that the ship would hold together.

Derived terms

• hold it together

References

• “hold together” in Merriam–Webster Online Dictionary.
• “hold, v.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1899.