This is the 1596th most frequent Dutch word.
hou
"Hou" means "hold" or "keep" and can also mean "love" in informal contexts.
The term "hou" here means "love," expressing affection or strong preference towards books.
Ik hou van boeken.
I love books.
In this imperative sentence, "hou" means "keep," used to demand someone to remain quiet.
Hou je mond!
Shut your mouth!
The word "houd" is a related form of "hou," here used as "keep" in the infinitive sense to describe maintaining the door in an open state.