taking hold
3
4.1
- noun
:
agarre
- Taking hold of the silver Franklin frames, he settled the nosepiece and hooked them behind his ears.
Examples
-
"Ma," Jet said, taking hold of her mother's arm, but Grace shook her off.
Fiction book (1997) -
I could feel their powerful hands taking hold of me, and all at once I became aware of my age.
Fiction book (1991) -
Hippodameia settled in behind her, taking hold of her tight, stiff shoulders.
Fiction book (1996) -
The sage thanked them with a smile, asked for silence, and, taking hold of the girl once again, he made her spin around in the air.
Fiction book (1995) -
Quee Lee was encased in the lifesuit, a sudden panic taking hold of her.
Fiction book (1994) -
I stood up, taking hold of the heavy wooden bar across the cage door.
-
"What's the matter, Mr. Peters?" she said, taking hold of his wrist.
-
After swimming to the wounded sailor and taking hold of him, Rutland ordered those on deck to heave away.
Synonyms
294
1.0
A firm grip on something
59
1.0
A quick action of taking something with your hand
12
4.2
Keeping something that you have or control
4
2.0
Holding and pressing something firmly with your hand
3
3.9
An act of holding something tightly
3
4.2
A quick act of taking something with the hand
3
1.9
A tight hold with the hands or arms
1
2.7
To hold something firmly with the hand or another body part
A tight hold on something using hands or arms
The action of taking hold of something with the hands or tentacles
How Firm
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning derives from the literal image of 'taking' and 'hold' (grasping) but is extended metaphorically to mean something becoming established or gaining influence; learners who know the words can partially infer a sense of 'grasping' or 'getting control' but not necessarily the abstract sense of an idea becoming accepted. This metaphorical extension is common cross-linguistically, so the expression is predictable to a degree but not fully compositional.
Etymology
Taking hold comes from the simple picture of grabbing and holding something tightly. Imagine hands closing on a rope or an octopus's arms taking a strong hold; that's why it means 'gripping firmly'.