hold one's fire English

Meaning hold one's fire meaning

What does hold one's fire mean?

hold one's fire phraseologicalUnit

— Do not discharge a weapon. Used originally for weapons needing a spark or lighting of a fuse to ignite gunpowder; now sometimes used to mean any weapon launching a projectile.

— (colloquial, idiomatic) Wait, don't retaliate, calm down, be quiet.