![]() To hold water in the figurative sense "be sound or consistent throughout" is from 1620s. 1200, originally of marriage but also of real estate. Middle English halten, to limp, from Old English healtian. To be defective or proceed poorly, as in the development of an argument in logic or in the rhythmic structure of verse. To proceed or act with uncertainty or indecision waver. ![]() To have and to hold have been paired alliteratively at least since c. To walk lamely or move in an irregular fashion. To hold (one's) horses "be patient" is from 1842, American English the notion is of keeping a tight grip on the reins. It indicates a lame, uncertain gait, going now in one. To hold (someone's) hand in the figurative sense of "give moral support" is from 1935. The Hebrew verb rendered halt is used of the irregular dance (leaped upon) around the altar (ver. To hold (one's) tongue "be silent" is from c. as "to maintain one's course," 1830 as "to keep one's grip on something," 1846 as an order to wait or stop. 1 verb When a person or a vehicle halts or when something halts them, they stop moving in the direction they were going and stand still. for lame Compare Synonyms sore bruised deformed disabled game halt. Hold back in the figurative senses is from 1530s (transitive) 1570s (intransitive). Lame Urban Dictionary It refers to a person who is out of the loop or can easily be. The modern use in the sense "lock up, keep in custody" is from 1903. The original past participle holden was replaced by held beginning 16c., but survives in some legal jargon and in beholden. Although 'halt' as a noun or a verb is more or less obsolete, we do still sometimes say 'halting' and 'haltingly'. Middle English holden, earlier halden, from Old English haldan (Anglian), healdan (West Saxon), "to contain to grasp to retain (liquid, etc.) to observe, fulfill (a custom, etc.) to have as one's own to have in mind (of opinions, etc.) to possess, control, rule to detain, lock up to foster, cherish, keep watch over to continue in existence or action to keep back from action," class VII strong verb (past tense heold, past participle healden), from Proto-Germanic *haldanan (source also of Old Saxon haldan, Old Frisian halda, Old Norse halda, Dutch houden, German halten "to hold," Gothic haldan "to tend").īased on the Gothic sense (also present as a secondary sense in Old English), the verb is presumed originally in Germanic to have meant "to keep, tend, watch over" (as grazing cattle), later "to have." Ancestral sense is preserved in behold. 1 definition found From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) wn: halt adj 1: disabled in the feet or legs a crippled soldier a game leg syn.
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