Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Strong personal support and reassurance, especially to alleviate tension and anxiety.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The holding of hands.
  • noun Strong personal support or reassurance.
  • adjective Holding hands.
  • adjective by extension, of a couple Deeply and ostentatiously in love.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

hand +‎ holding

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Examples

  • The buildings are spinning around me as I twirl along with my husband who seems to feel that handholding is no longer original enough.

    baiser - French Word-A-Day 2006

  • The buildings are spinning around me as I twirl along with my husband who seems to feel that handholding is no longer original enough.

    French Word-A-Day: 2006

  • The buildings are spinning around me as I twirl along with my husband who seems to feel that handholding is no longer original enough.

    French Word-A-Day: 2006

  • I have to disagree Michael about the "handholding" of Editors at conferences.

    The Value of Critique? Editorial Anonymous 2010

  • Kennedy, who has been holding regular "handholding" sessions with the senators to calm their fears, plans to introduce the legislation soon after the Easter recess.

    Some Teddy Handholding 2008

  • The 'handholding' thing will only hurt if Obama fluffs foreign policy in the debates - I don't think he will.

    Gordon Brown, Charlie Whelan and Me 2008

  • The UNC system hopes to improve graduation rates by expanding expensive "handholding" programs for students who are not ready for college-level work.

    Pope Center Articles 2010

  • News Government may have taken on too much in leading local industry, resulting in the private sector being too inactive and in need of "handholding", says official.

    ZDNet Asia Latest Tech News 2009

  • RG: Does the SYNNEX Converged Solutions Group offer a "one-stop shop" environment and any "handholding" services?

    unknown title 2009

  • I removed the linux "handholding" os that was on it and put on windows xp until someone gets a wifi driver working on the hackintosh.

    British Blogs 2008

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