lay hold of

lay hold of (someone or something)

1. To grasp or grip someone or something. Lay hold of that end of the sheet and pull it straight. I tried to lay hold of her before she fell off the step, but it happened too fast.

2. To come to possess, control, or gain custody of someone or something. See if you can lay hold of a plane we can use to transport these goods across the border. If they police ever lay hold of him, he'll spend the rest of his life behind bars.

3. To manage to understand or conceive of something. It's a tricky concept to lay hold of, I know. I must have read this passage three times, but I simply cannot lay hold of its meaning.

See also: hold, lay, of

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

lay hold of someone or something

to grasp someone or something with the hands. Just wait till I lay hold of Bill! I can't wait to lay hold of that fishing pole. I'm ready to catch a huge fish.

See also: hold, lay, of

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

lay hold of

Grasp, seize on, as in He clutched at branches, shrubs, anything he could lay hold of to break his fall. [First half of 1500s] Also see get hold of.

See also: hold, lay, of

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.