"hold the book" meaning in English

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "holds the book",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "holding the book",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "held the book",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "held the book",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "hold<,,held> the book"
      },
      "expansion": "hold the book (third-person singular simple present holds the book, present participle holding the book, simple past and past participle held the book)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Theater",
          "orig": "en:Theater",
          "parents": [
            "Art",
            "Entertainment",
            "Culture",
            "Society",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1860, Douglas Jerrold, Blanchard Jerrold, The Brownrigg Papers, page 133:",
          "text": "In a little time, and you'll cease to hold the book to men and women; no, you'll have to prompt nothing but earthquakes, and give the word to nobody but dragons and flying fish.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1869, Hawley Smart, Breezie Langton, volume 1, page 190:",
          "text": "Here we are! now then,\" he said, as they entered the theatre, \"clear the stage, all ready for the first piece. Who'll hold the book? Here, Puzzleton, you've nothing to do, just prompt will you, like a good fellow?",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To act as prompter."
      ],
      "id": "en-hold_the_book-en-verb-tgrSHeRg",
      "links": [
        [
          "theater",
          "theater"
        ],
        [
          "prompter",
          "prompter"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(theater) To act as prompter."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "keep the book"
        },
        {
          "word": "on the book"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        "entertainment",
        "lifestyle",
        "theater"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "hold the book"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "holds the book",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "holding the book",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "held the book",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "held the book",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "hold<,,held> the book"
      },
      "expansion": "hold the book (third-person singular simple present holds the book, present participle holding the book, simple past and past participle held the book)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "keep the book"
    },
    {
      "word": "on the book"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English verbs",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned",
        "en:Theater"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1860, Douglas Jerrold, Blanchard Jerrold, The Brownrigg Papers, page 133:",
          "text": "In a little time, and you'll cease to hold the book to men and women; no, you'll have to prompt nothing but earthquakes, and give the word to nobody but dragons and flying fish.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1869, Hawley Smart, Breezie Langton, volume 1, page 190:",
          "text": "Here we are! now then,\" he said, as they entered the theatre, \"clear the stage, all ready for the first piece. Who'll hold the book? Here, Puzzleton, you've nothing to do, just prompt will you, like a good fellow?",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To act as prompter."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "theater",
          "theater"
        ],
        [
          "prompter",
          "prompter"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(theater) To act as prompter."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "entertainment",
        "lifestyle",
        "theater"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "hold the book"
}