offhold

English

Alternative forms

• off-hold

Etymology

From Middle English ofholden, from Old English ofhealdan (“to withhold, retain”), equivalent to off- +‎ hold. Cognate with Dutch afhouden (“to detain, deter”), German abhalten (“to discourage, prevent, deter”).

Verb

offhold (third-person singular simple present offholds, present participle offholding, simple past offheld, past participle offheld or offholden)

1. (transitive, archaic) To retain.
2. (intransitive) To hold off; prevent; refrain; avoid; shun.
   • 1950, Washington Institute of Medicine, General practice clinics:

     A scleral rim should be maintained in contact lenses to off-hold and balance the corneal portion from the cornea, preventing exertion of any pressure.

   • 1968, Titus Maccius Plautus, Paul Nixon, Plautus:

     No, Love, you must be shunned by every means, offheld and offstood afar, for the man that has fallen headlong into love comes o greater grief than if he cast himself off a cliff.

   • 2009, A.J.J. Mekking, Eric Roose, The global built environment as a representation of realities:

     The mighty foundation of massive natural stone, in the Mediterranean realm, in India as well as in Middle- and South America, almost always represents the world of the toiling earthlings who have to off-hold the demons of depth as well as to support their god-miming oppressors.

Anagrams

• hold off, holdoff