Behold

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /bɪˈhəʊld/

Definitions

1. to observe or witness something with focused attention, typically with surprise or wonder
2. to perceive or look upon something, often used to direct another's notice toward it
3. To notice or see something carefully, often with interest or amazement ; to cause another person to see or notice something by calling attention to it

Etymology: The verb "behold" is a good example of a word that once meant something much broader than its modern sense. In Old English, "behealdan" meant "to hold, possess, preserve, keep," and also "to observe, take care, beware, behave." Looking at something was only one of many things the word could cover, and the sense of visual attention narrowed over the centuries while the older senses of keeping and guarding faded out. The word is built from "be-," an old prefix meaning something like "thoroughly" or "around," attached to "hold." Its family resemblance across Germanic languages is striking: Dutch "behouden," German "behalten," and Swedish "behålla" all still carry the sense of keeping or retaining, so the word's core idea of holding onto something remains visible in its relatives even where English has moved on.

Synonyms: see, witness, observe, view, gaze

Antonyms: ignore, overlook, disregard