to hold up
Preserved but no longer current.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to hold up” mean?
To stop, as a highwayman does, with the object of robbing. In this connexion the order, "Hold up your hands!" or "Hold 'em up!" means that the victim must hold them above his head to make sure that he is not reaching for a weapon.
Is “to hold up” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.