Overhold

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To continue to hold or keep something beyond the usual or agreed-upon time
2. To maintain possession or control of something past the intended or scheduled period
3. To retain or keep in place longer than originally planned or expected

Etymology: The verb "overhold" is a plain compound: "over" joined to "hold," and it has been in English since the Middle Ages. Its ancestor, Old English "oferhealdan," meant much more than keeping something past a deadline. It could mean to overcome or overtake, to hold something over or beyond its proper time, or to delay doing something, and even to neglect a task. The modern sense of keeping a hold on property after the agreed period is only one slice of that older range. The Old English word was built from a Proto-Germanic pairing of ""uber" (over) and ""haldaną" (to hold), the same pattern that gives modern English many compounds such as "overtake" and "overthrow." Its relatives on the Continent show how the idea spread in different directions. Dutch "overhouden" can mean to save something up, German "überhalten" means to keep hold of something, and Danish "overholde" has come to mean to observe a rule or obligation, which is a notable shift from simply holding on.

Synonyms: retain excessively, keep too long

Antonyms: underhold, release, discard