Synonyms Examples Word Origin
See more synonyms for behold on Thesaurus.com verb (used with object), be·held, be·hold·ing. to observe; look at; see. Show More
look; see: And, behold, three sentries of the King did appear. Show More
Origin of behold before 900; Middle English beholden, Old English behaldan to keep. See
be- ,
hold1 Related forms be·hold·a·ble , adjective be·hold·er , noun un·be·hold·a·ble , adjective Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for beholder Contemporary Examples of beholder Beauty, in his case at least, really is in the eye of the beholder .
I joined the Marines the week I turned 17, and that led to a few experiences that might qualify as adventure—eye of the beholder .
But be warned, the action here is mostly in the eyes of the beholder .
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder , and we have some very pretty girls here.
As you can see, chalak is in the eye of the accuser, er, beholder .
Historical Examples of beholder The Eastern end of the Cathedral does not impress the beholder .
He is a beholder of ideas and an utterer of the necessary and causal.
The metamorphosis excites in the beholder an emotion of joy.
Any beholder would imagine that she was alive, and not dead.
It gave him a roguish—almost boyish—effect most appealing to the beholder .
British Dictionary definitions for beholder verb -holds , -holding or -held (often used in the imperative to draw attention to something) archaic , or literary to look (at); observe Show More
Derived Forms beholder , noun Word Origin for behold Old English bihealdan ; related to Old High German bihaltan , Dutch behouden ; see be- , hold
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for beholder n. late 14c., agent noun from behold .
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v. Old English bihaldan (West Saxon behealdan ) "give regard to, hold in view," also "to keep hold of, to belong to," from be- + haldan, healdan (see hold ). Related: Beheld ; beholding . A common West Germanic compound, cf. Old Saxon bihaldan "hold, keep," Old Frisian bihalda , Old High German bihaltan , German behalten , but "[t]he application to watching, looking, is confined to English" [OED].
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
