withhold

withhold, v.
  (wɪðˈhəʊld)
  Forms and etym.: see with- and hold v.; 3–7 occas. as two words, 6–8 freq. with hyphen; also 3 wiðealden, 4 withald, 5–6 -alde, 5–8 withold; pa. tense 3 wiðeld, 5 without, 6 pseudo-arch. with hault; pa. pple. 4– 5 witholde, 5–8 witholden (withholden was still freq. in the 19th century).
  1. trans. To keep from doing something; to keep in check or under restraint; to hold back, restrain.
  Formerly also const. inf. = from doing a thing.

c 1200 Vices & Virtues 107 Alle unwilles ðe cumeð of ðe manne, ðies hes atempreð, & wiðhalt te misdon. Ibid. 143 Godd..wiðeld alle reines þrie hier & six moneþes. c 1290 Beket 1254 in S. Eng. Leg. 142 The teres fullen out of is eiȝene, he ne miȝte with-holden heom nouȝt. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 740, I schal..wyth-halde my honde for hortyng on lede. 1379 Glouc. Cath. MS. 19. No. I. i. iv. lf. 11 b, It..letteth & withholdeth the colre froo his kind decoccion. 1390 Gower Conf. II. 240 Jason..Ne mihte noght with⁓holde his lok, Bot so good hiede on hire he tok, That [etc.]. Ibid. 284 To be withholde ayein largesse. c 1400 tr. Secr. Secr., Gov. Lordsh. 113 Y withdrew me, & ouercome my self, for to withholde my couetyse. 1535 Coverdale Job xvii. 4 Thou hast with holden their hertes from vnder⁓stondinge. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. V 70 Forasmuche as our saied father is witholden with diuerse sicknes, in such maner as he maie not intende in his owne persone. 1595 Shakes. John v. vi. 37 With hold thine indignation, mighty heauen. 1601 ― Jul. C. iii. ii. 108 What cause with⁓holds you then to mourne for him? 1696 Tate & Brady Ps. xl. 9 Nor did [I]..my Lips with-hold. 1719 De Foe Crusoe i. (Globe) 237 So I withheld my Passion, though I was indeed enrag'd to the highest Degree. 1742 Johnson Sydenham Wks. 1787 IV. 493 He was with-held from the university by the commencement of the war. 1742 Fielding J. Andrews ii. v, Had not some awe of the company..withheld his rage. 1749 ― Tom Jones v. ii, From serenading his Patient every Hunting Morning with the Horn.., it was impossible to withhold him. 1780 Johnson Let. to Mrs. Thrale 8 May, Such is the call for your presence; what is there to withhold you? 1868 Lynch Rivulet cxvii. i, While darkness yet withheld the dawn. 1873 J. G. Holland A. Bonnic. ii, I longed to go nearer it, but the prohibition withheld me. 1912 Engl. Hist. Rev. Jan. 53 Walpole..withheld Great Britain from giving support..to..Frederick William.

absol. 1382 Wyclif 2 Thess. ii. 6 Now what withholdith, ȝe witen, that he be schewid in his tyme. 1560 Bible (Genev.) 2 Thess. ii. 7 He which now withholdeth, shal let til he be taken out of the waye.

  b. refl. To restrain oneself.

c 1200 Vices & Virtues 135 Ðe mann þe him wiðhalt..of ates & of drenches. a 1225 Ancr. R. 348 Ich halsie ou..þet ȝe wiðholden ou from vlesliche lustes. 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 12623 Ȝow to withholde Fro þe synnes þat byfore are tolde. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xxii. 99 If it be swa þat any man..withhald him fra þis feste. c 1400 tr. Secr. Secr., Gov. Lordsh. 73 With-holde þe from latynge of blood. Ibid. 116 He þat with-oldys him to sterre his hondes. a 1619 M. Fotherby Atheom. ii. viii. §2 (1622) 283 He prayeth to God, to withhold him; because hee could not withhold himselfe. 1897 Warung Tales Old Régime 246 Blake,..though tempted, yet withheld himself from yielding.

  † c. intr. To refrain from; occas. const. inf., or trans. with gerund. Obs.

1650 H. More Observ. in Enthus. Tri., etc. (1656) 103 You could not with-hold from telling us that you are but a young man. c 1650 Bradford Plymouth Plant. (1856) 104 They withheld and did no more hurte. 1711 Addison Spect. No. 123 ¶5 He could no longer withhold making himself known to him. 1807 [? W. H. Ireland] Mod. Ship of Fools 118 note, No man should withhold from extending his hand to support the falling. Ibid. 275 note, The fools will carefully withhold from the mention of their own fooleries. 1817 Jas. Mill Brit. India v. iv. II. 453 He was incapable of giving, or capable of withholding to give..an opinion.

  † d. trans. To keep away or off, ward off. Obs.

13.. K. Alis. 2302 Glitoun..pulte forth a stelene scheld, Ny⁓gusars dunt withhuld. 1560 1st Bk. Discipl. Ch. Scot. (1621) 66 Every Kirk must have..thack able to with-hold raine.

  † e. To hinder, prevent. (With dir. obj., clause, or acc. and inf.) Obs.

c 1400 tr. Secr. Secr., Gov. Lordsh. 93 Vnderstandynge..ys luge wirkand, and withhaldand þat þat vndoynge by⁓comes. 1486 Bk. St. Albans c vj b, It is anoyus sekenes..and with holdeth hir strengthe. 1674 N. Fairfax Bulk & Selv. 39 Nothing with-holds, but that from an infinite tale of finites there may at length arise an infinite. 1754 Richardson Grandison II. iii. 22 Nothing with-holds my wishes to be released, but my desire of seeing the darling..happy.

  f. To keep away or separated from. rare.

1513 Douglas æneis iv. vi. 150 Quham of the realm of Itail I defraud, And fra the ground to him promist withhad. 1854 Patmore Angel in Ho., Betrothal 140 Like a ship frost-bound and far Withheld in ice from the ocean's roar.

  † g. To defer, postpone. Obs. rare.

1725 Pope Odyss. xxii. 258 She..willing longer to survey The sire and son's great acts, with-held the day.

  2. To keep back; to keep in one's possession (what belongs to, is due to, or is desired by another); to refrain from giving, granting, or allowing. † Formerly with dat. of person. (The current sense.)

c 1200 Vices & Virtues 139 Ða þinges ðe ne sculen ben iȝiuen, þa bieð to wiðealden mid michele skele. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 914 Wid-held he ðor-of neuere on del, Oc al ðat euere fel him to, Sac-les he let hin welden it so. a 1300 Cursor M. 28427 Gains godd i haue bene vn-hende, Þat i wit-halden ha my tende. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. vi. 42 He with-halt non hyne his huire. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 5620 Ȝeld me þe relyqes vp agayn, þat þou with-halst of myne. ? 1449 Paston Lett. Suppl. (1901) 22 The Pryore and Convent of Norwyche have wythhalden certeyn rent for landes that they halden of me. 1470–85 Malory Arthur x. xli. 480 A knyghte that hyght Goneryes that withhelde her alle her landes. 1493 Plumpton Corr. (Camden) 105 That ye without your duty belonging to the sayd Mr. Lee. a 1548 Hall Chron., Edw. IV 232 Your old rightes & possessions, which wer from you..wrongfully with holden. 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. xi. 9 Soone as Titan gan his head exault, And soone againe as he his light with hault. 1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 186 Blessings..not with-held from Pagan people. 1728 Pope Dunc. iii. 276 These Fate reserv'd to grace thy reign divine, Foreseen by me, but ah! withheld from mine. 1794 R. J. Sulivan View Nat. I. 480 From such an inference, I must..withhold my assent. 1848 Dickens Dombey xlvi, Perch the messenger..could not withhold the tribute of his admiration from this zealous conduct. 1861 Brougham Brit. Const. xiii. 178 [Parliament's] acknowledged power to give or to withhold supplies. 1874 S. Wilberforce Ess. I. 381 The other branches of the Church Catholic, with which..communion was..withholden from us. 1883 Tylor in Encycl. Brit. XV. 199/1 Such divine beings as can..give or withhold the rain. 1911 Act 1 & 2 Geo. V. c. 46 §4 That by reason of such refusal [to republish] the work is withheld from the public.

absol. 1781 Cowper Hope 331 He will give freely, or he will withhold. 1859 Whittier My Psalm 42 All as God wills, who wisely heeds To give or to withhold.

  † 3. To detain; to keep in bondage, in custody, or under control. Also fig. Obs.

c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 3019 He [sc. Pharaoh] wið-held hem, and, al-so he [sc. Moses] it bead, Al ðe erf of egipt wurð dead. c 1374 Chaucer Troylus iv. 597 It is no shame vn-to ȝow,..Hire to with-holden þat ye loueth most. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 308 If thou art on of alle, That with this vice hast ben withholde. 1422 Yonge tr. Secr. Secr. 161 Verite in this dayes is wyth-holde, bonde, and prisoner. c 1520 Skelton Garl. Laurell, etc., Wks. 1843 I. 427 The twayne last [sc. Right and Reason] Be withholde so fast With mony, as men sayne, They can not come agayne. 1590 Shakes. Mids. N. ii. i. 26 She (perforce) with holds the loued boy. 1611 Tourneur Ath. Trag. i. ii, Your favour had by his duty beene preuented, If we had not with-held him in the way. 1714 Orig. Canto Spenser xxxvi, The strugling Fly he firmly doth with-hold. [Cf. quot. 1854 in 1 f.]

  † 4. To keep in use or possession; rarely, to keep in place; to retain; esp. to retain in the memory; occas. to reserve to oneself. Obs.

c 1200 Vices & Virtues 27 Hit is al ȝedwoll, and of haðenesse ȝiet wiðhealden. c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. iv. pr. vi. (1868) 139 He wolde for-leten perauenture to continue innocence, by þe whiche he ne may nat wiþholden fortune. c 1386 ― Pars. T. ¶967 [The Pater noster] is short,..for to withholden it the moore esily in herte. 1387–8 T. Usk Test. Love ii. viii. (Skeat) l. 121 Al-though it be a whyle swete, it may not be with-holde. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. v. ii. (Tollem. MS.), Þe heed is sumdel comynge narow and hyȝe, and þat to with holde þe bagge of þe brayne. c 1400 tr. Secr. Secr., Gov. Lordsh. 78 Study..to kepe and witholde kyndly hete. c 1430 Pilgr. Lyf Manhode i. xv. (1869) 10 He hath with holde to him alle vengeaunces. 1483 Caxton G. de la Tour li. e ij, I wold ye couthe and wel withheld the example of a knyght that had thre wyues.

  † b. To keep attached to one's person or engaged in one's service; to retain for one's pleasure or profit, keep on one's side. Obs.

c 1300 Havelok 2356 A thusand knihtes ful wel o bon With-held þe king, with him to lede. c 1380 Antecrist in Todd Three Treat. Wyclif (1851) 150 Crist wiþhelde no men of lawe ne pleders at þe barr for robes and fees. c 1400 Mandeville (1919) xxvi. 157 All the mynstrelles þat comen before hym..ben withholden with him as of his houshold. c 1412 Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 1250 With-holde hir on þi side. 1423 Acts Privy Council III. 90 He has bene with⁓holde and of retenue for a yere wyt the..noble Kyng Henry. 1424 Paston Lett. I. 17 [He] never was servaunt to the..Duc..ne wythhaldyn in hese service. c 1500 Three Kings Sons 22 My lorde withhelde him for his seruaunt.

  † 5. To keep, maintain, preserve. Obs.

c 1200 Vices & Virtues 71 Ðat tu hes kunne wel ȝecnawen & mid godes fultume wiðhealden. c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. iv. pr. vi. (1868) 142 God..hastiþ to wiþhalden þe þinges þat he haþ maked in to hys semblaunce. c 1386 ― Prol. 511 To seken hym a chauntrie for soules, Or with a bretherhed to been withholde. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 7 Knyhthode..Wherof the wyde worldes fame Write in Cronique is yit withholde. c 1418 Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 244 Hem nedethe nether spere ne shulde, Ne in no castel to be withholde.

  † 6. a. To hold. b. To hold up, sustain. Obs. rare.

1513 Douglas æneis viii. xi. 44 In thair hand wythhald⁓and, euery knycht, Twa javilling speris. 1760–72 H. Brooke Fool of Qual. (1809) II. 159 [He] cut the hair that with⁓held me in twain; so down I thought I fell.

  † 7. intr. To hold or adhere to. Obs. rare.

a 1450 Knt. de la Tour Prol. 4 Forto flee euelle and with⁓holde the good. Ibid. 54 Alle these men that kepithe hem selff clene..haue free hert to witholde good ensaumples of lyff.

  Hence withˈholdable a., liable to be or capable of being withheld.

1810 Bentham Packing (1821) 248 The habitual, but ever withholdable bribes, with which they are fed.

Oxford English Dictionary