holdfast

American  

[hohld-fast, -fahst] / ˈhoʊldˌfæst, -ˌfɑst /

noun

1. something used to hold or secure a thing in place; a catch, hook, clamp, etc.

2. Botany, Mycology. any of several rootlike or suckerlike organs or parts serving for attachment.

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holdfast British  

/ ˈhəʊldˌfɑːst /

noun

1. 1. the act of gripping strongly

   2. such a grip

2. any device used to secure an object, such as a hook, clamp, etc

3. the organ of attachment of a seaweed or related plant

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Etymology

Origin of holdfast

First recorded in 1550–60; noun use of verb phrase hold fast

Example Sentences

The stipe, or stem, attaches to the holdfast and supports the blades, which typically float in the water, thanks to air bladders.

From Science Daily • Jan. 16, 2024

Looking to nature for inspiration, the McGill-led research zeroed in on the marine mussel byssus, a fibrous holdfast, which these bivalve mollusks use to anchor themselves in seashore habitats.

From Science Daily • Dec. 1, 2023

They twirl together with their chosen female under the water, changing colors and linking tails as they pirouette around a shared holdfast.

From Science Magazine • Sep. 23, 2021

Rotifers are typically free-swimming and truly planktonic organisms, but the toes or extensions of the foot can secrete a sticky material forming a holdfast to help them adhere to surfaces.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

"Last night Hot Pie asked me if I heard you yell Winterfell back at the holdfast, when we were all fighting on the wall."

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin