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. holdings, Library Science. 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 Words From

• pre·holding 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

Long Beach Realtors Loree Scarborough and Tessa Owen were holding several fat bundles of blue hydrangeas around 8:30 a.m. while considering long stems of orange ranunculus for a client appreciation event later that day.

From Los Angeles Times

Time Magazine analysed another anonymous wallet that had bought Dink Doink prior to Logan Paul’s promotion of the coin and then sold its holding shortly after.

From BBC

Prosecutors urged the judge who is overseeing Trump's sentence after his guilty verdict to consider options other than dismissal, including holding off until the president-elect is scheduled to leave the White House in 2029.

From BBC

When deputies confronted him, he was holding a 12-inch kitchen knife and screamed at deputies to shoot him, according to body camera footage taken at the scene.

From Los Angeles Times

In its latest annual survey, Atomico takes stock of how far the ecosystem has grown — and the challenges still holding it back, including regulatory concerns and access to later-stage capital.

From New York Times

Related Words

• equity
• goods
• ownership
• property