HOLDING

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does holding mean? 

• HOLDING (noun)
  The noun HOLDING has 2 senses:

1. the act of retaining something

2. something owned; any tangible or intangible possession that is owned by someone

  Familiarity information: HOLDING used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HOLDING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of retaining something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

holding; keeping; retention

Hypernyms ("holding" is a kind of...):

ownership; possession (the act of having and controlling property)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "holding"):

storage (the act of storing something)

withholding (the act of holding back or keeping within your possession or control)

Derivation:

hold (secure and keep for possible future use or application)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Something owned; any tangible or intangible possession that is owned by someone

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Synonyms:

belongings; holding; property

Context example:

he is a man of property

Hypernyms ("holding" is a kind of...):

possession (anything owned or possessed)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "holding"):

trust (something (as property) held by one party (the trustee) for the benefit of another (the beneficiary))

stockholding; stockholdings (a specific number of stocks or shares owned)

heirloom ((law) any property that is considered by law or custom as inseparable from an inheritance is inherited with that inheritance)

estate (everything you own; all of your assets (whether real property or personal property) and liabilities)

wealth (property that has economic utility: a monetary value or an exchange value)

public property (property owned by a government)

trade-in (an item of property that is given in part payment for a new one)

lease; letting; rental (property that is leased or rented out or let)

church property; spirituality; spiritualty (property or income owned by a church)

shareholding (a holding in the form of shares of corporations)

salvage (property or goods saved from damage or destruction)

landholding (a holding in the form of land)

commonage (property held in common)

immovable; real estate; real property; realty (property consisting of houses and land)

things (any movable possession (especially articles of clothing))

personal estate; personal property; personalty; private property (movable property (as distinguished from real estate))

community property (property and income belonging jointly to a married couple)

intellectual property (intangible property that is the result of creativity (such as patents or trademarks or copyrights))

hereditament (any property (real or personal or mixed) that can be inherited)

ratables; rateables (property that provides tax income for local governments)

worldly belongings; worldly goods; worldly possessions (all the property that someone possesses)

material possession; tangible possession (property or belongings that are tangible)

Derivation:

hold (have or possess, either in a concrete or an abstract sense)

 Context examples 

“Do you still hear?” I shouted, holding the fingers and waiting for the single pressure which would signify “Yes.” There was no response. The hand was dead.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Holding the gun with one hand, he reached with the other into his pocket for fresh shells.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

"Nay," she said, holding up a warning hand.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

“This may interest you, Lestrade,” he remarked, holding it out.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Dorothy thought she would go next; so she took Toto in her arms and climbed on the Lion's back, holding tightly to his mane with one hand.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

This month will bring you extraordinary support—you are holding all the aces.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

The town is capable of holding five hundred thousand souls: the houses are from three to five stories: the shops and markets well provided.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

A few moor farmers have small holdings, where they rear sheep and cattle.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"I wonder what a book like that will earn Marlow?" he went on, holding up the volume in question.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Men were holding their breaths, intensely unconscious of the fact.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)