holdfast
Americannoun
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something used to hold or secure a thing in place; a catch, hook, clamp, etc.
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Botany, Mycology. any of several rootlike or suckerlike organs or parts serving for attachment.
noun
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the act of gripping strongly
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such a grip
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any device used to secure an object, such as a hook, clamp, etc
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the organ of attachment of a seaweed or related plant
Etymology
Origin of holdfast
First recorded in 1550–60; noun use of verb phrase hold fast
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Looy noted, however, that the diversity of invertebrates found within the 32-million-year-old fossilized holdfast was not as high as would be found inside a kelp holdfast today.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 16, 2024
The stipe, or stem, attaches to the holdfast and supports the blades, which typically float in the water, thanks to air bladders.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 16, 2024
They twirl together with their chosen female under the water, changing colors and linking tails as they pirouette around a shared holdfast.
From Science Magazine ● Sep. 23, 2021
Rotifers are typically free-swimming and truly planktonic organisms, but the toes or extensions of the foot can secrete a sticky material forming a holdfast to help them adhere to surfaces.
From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015
"We'll stay in the holdfast, with the gates barred," the old man said.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
