English Explanatory Dictionary

forhold

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To detain, hold back, or hold up (someone or something); also, to retain or withhold (something).

Pronunciation

/fɔːˈhəʊld/ /fə-/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-forehold.wav /fɔɹˈhoʊld/ /fɚ-/

Word forms

forhold forholds forholding forheld forholden

Etymology

From Middle English forholden (“to withhold; to keep (a corpse) unburied”) [and other forms], from Old English forhealdan (“to keep or hold back (something), withhold; to hold away; to disregard, neglect; to hold wrongly, not to keep in good condition”), from for- (prefix meaning ‘away from; wrongly’) + healdan (“to grasp, hold fast; to possess”) (from Proto-West Germanic *haldan (“to hold; to keep”), from Proto-Germanic *haldaną (“to hold; to keep”); further etymology uncertain, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- (“to cover; to conceal, hide”)). The English word is analysable as for- + hold, and is cognate with Danish forholde (“to relate”), Dutch verhouden (“to relate”), Low German vorholden (“to detain”), German verhalten (“to control, restrain”), Norwegian forholde (“to deal”).

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