student asking question

What's "hold down" mean?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

To "hold down" means to place pressure on something and not let go. For example, to press on a button and hold the pressure for an extended amount of time. If someone tells you to hold down on a button for five seconds, it means to click it one time and hold the pressure for five seconds without letting go. Ex: After getting a vaccine shot, you have to hold down a cotton swab on the spot for two minutes so it stops bleeding. Ex: Hold down on the button until a popup shows on the screen.

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