holding

[hohl-ding]

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that holds. hold.

2. a section of land leased or otherwise tenanted, especially for agricultural purposes.

3. a company owned by a holding company.

4. Often holdings. legally owned property, especially stocks, bonds, or real estate.

5. Library Science.,  holdings, the entire collection of books, periodicals, and other materials in a library.

6. Sports.,  the illegal obstruction of an opponent, as in football, basketball, or ice hockey, by use of the hands, arms, or stick.

holding

/ ˈhəʊldɪŋ /

noun

1. land held under a lease and used for agriculture or similar purposes

2. (often plural) property to which the holder has legal title, such as land, stocks, shares, and other investments

3. sport the obstruction of an opponent with the hands or arms, esp in boxing

adjective

1. informal,  in funds; having money

Other Word Forms

• preholding noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of holding¹

First recorded in 1175–1225, holding is from the Middle English word holding. See hold ¹, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

"For over two years, the hope of holding Ariel again is what sustained and drove me every single day," she said.

Read more on BBC

"It's a big deal to have a hawk on your fist, it's like holding a leopard or something! And the honesty with which she portrays the whole thing is just magnificent."

Read more on Barron's

The only functioning device holding the anchor in place broke after it was hit by a big wave on January 25 at 4:11 am, it said.

Read more on Barron's

Central bank buying has also been significant, with China alone adding 39.2 tons to its overall holdings since it returned to the market in November of last year.

Read more on Barron's

Some traders with large leveraged positions in crypto derivatives, such as perpetual futures, saw their holdings liquidated as exchanges scrambled to remain within risk limits.

Read more on MarketWatch

Related Words

• equity 
• goods 
• ownership 
• property