get a hold of — to contact someone, especially by phone; to find or obtain something
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to contact someone, especially by phone; to find or obtain something
Pronunciation (IPA): /ɡet ə hoʊld ʌv/
Example Sentences
- I need to get a hold of my dentist before my tooth falls out completely!
- Where did you get a hold of that vintage guitar?
- Get a hold of yourself! It's just a spider, not a dinosaur.
get a hold of
VERB[/ɡet ə hoʊld ʌv/]
to contact someone, especially by phone; to find or obtain something
She finally managed to get a hold of her busy doctor after three calls.
Get a hold of success with bold moves, just as you were told!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The verb 'hold' derives from Old English 'healdan', meaning 'to grasp or maintain'. The phrasal verb 'get a hold of' emerged in the 19th century, developing an idiomatic sense of 'to contact or reach someone', extending the literal meaning of physically grasping to the abstract notion of establishing communication.
Breakdown
get (obtain) + hold (grasp, seize) = literally 'to obtain a grasp of', semantically extended to 'to establish contact with or reach someone'.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“I need to get a hold of my dentist before my tooth falls out completely!”
“Where did you get a hold of that vintage guitar?”
“Get a hold of yourself! It's just a spider, not a dinosaur.”
“I can't get a hold of anyone at the company on weekends.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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