own transitive verb [OE. unnen to grant, permit, be pleased with, AS. unnan to grant; akin to OS. giunnan, G. gönnen, Icel. unna; of uncertain origin. This word has been confused with own to possess.]

To grant; to acknowledge; to admit to be true; to confess; to recognize in a particular character; as, we own that we have forfeited your love.

The wakeful bloodhound rose, and shook his hide;
But his sagacious eye an inmate owns. Keats.

Own adjective [OE. owen, awen, auen, aughen, AS. āgen, p. p. of āgan to possess; akin to OS. ēgan, G. & D. eigen, Icel. eiginn, Sw. & Dan. egen. √110. See Owe.] Belonging to; belonging exclusively or especially to; peculiar; – most frequently following a possessive pronoun, as my, our, thy, your, his, her, its, their, in order to emphasize or intensify the idea of property, peculiar interest, or exclusive ownership; as, my own father; my own composition; my own idea; at my own price.

“No man was his own [i. e., no man was master of himself, or in possession of his senses].” Shak.

To hold one’s own

to keep or maintain one's possessions; to yield nothing; esp., to suffer no loss or disadvantage in a contest. Shak.