holds

Holds is the third-person singular present form of the verb hold, and also the plural noun form of hold in several senses. As a verb, hold encompasses grasping or gripping physically, supporting or containing something, keeping it in a particular state, and maintaining a belief, position, or possession over time.

As a noun, a hold can refer to a grip or grasp; in sports such as wrestling or martial arts, a hold is a technique used to immobilize an opponent. In climbing, holds are the features on a rock face or wall that climbers use as hand- or footholds. In maritime terminology, the hold is the cargo compartment inside a ship, with multiple holds available on larger vessels.

In finance and business, holding or holdings denote an asset owned by an investor, such as a stock or bond holding within a portfolio. The plural holdings is common in financial reporting and fund disclosures, as in “the fund’s holdings include Apple and Microsoft.”

In legal contexts, a court’s holding is its ruling on a particular issue of law, and the plural holdings can refer to multiple such rulings. Across contexts, holds often imply control, retention, or containment, whether physical, strategic, or symbolic.