behold. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

behold

SYLLABICATION:	be·hold
PRONUNCIATION:	b-hld
VERB:	Inflected forms: be·held (-hld), be·hold·ing, be·holds
TRANSITIVE VERB:	1a. To perceive by the visual faculty; see: beheld a tiny figure in the distance. b. To perceive through use of the mental faculty; comprehend: “Behold the man of the future” (Jerry Adler). 2. To look upon; gaze at: We beheld a beautiful vista before us. See synonyms at see¹.
INTRANSITIVE VERB:	Used in the imperative for the purpose of calling attention.
ETYMOLOGY:	Middle English biholden, from Old English behaldan : be-, be- + healdan, to hold; see hold¹.
OTHER FORMS:	be·holder —NOUN


The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.