ahold

[ uh-hohld ]

noun

1. Informal. a hold or grasp (often followed by of ):

   He took ahold of my arm. Grab ahold!

adverb

1. Nautical Archaic. close to the wind and on a single tack:

   to keep a vessel ahold.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ahold¹

First recorded in 1600–10; a- ¹ + hold ¹ (noun)

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. get ahold of, Informal. hold ¹( def 53 ).

Example Sentences

So imagine my surprise when she recently got ahold of mine and started scrolling and swiping with the muscle memory of a bored teen on TikTok.

From Slate

We had finished “Chicago 16,” and Irving Azoff got ahold of us and said, “We have this movie called ‘Summer Lovers,’ and we’d like you guys to write a song for it.’”

From Los Angeles Times

Often, it’d require getting ahold of city records, speaking to people at local genealogical and historical societies, and interviewing your family members or anyone who might have known the dead person you’re looking for and be able to point you to where they are buried.

From Slate

Although he has a “no trade” clause in his contract, wouldn’t it be nice if the Dodgers could somehow get ahold of him?

From Los Angeles Times

Green said he can easily get ahold of the five county supervisors.

From Los Angeles Times