hold together

English[edit]

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

(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...
(figuratively, idiomatic) Synonym of hold it together: to cope with adversity.
(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.
- 1960 March, “Talking of Trains: The Slough derailment”, in Trains Illustrated, page 132:
  The Inspecting Officer draws attention to the remarkable way in which the train held together after the final derailment; this was due in no small measure to the robustness of the buckeye couplings fitted to the coaches.

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