# beholder

> English word · Noun · IPA /bɪˈhəʊldə/ · frequency rank #36,452

## Definitions
1. Someone who observes or beholds; an observer or spectator.
2. A fictional monster in roleplaying games, a floating orb of flesh with a large mouth and many eyes on stalks.

## Etymology
From Middle English behalder, be holdar, beholder, beholdere, biholdar, biholdere, byholdere; equivalent to behold + -er.

## Easily confused with
- **bolder** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/beholder-vs-bolder)
- **behold** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/behold-vs-beholder)
- **beholden** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/beholden-vs-beholder)

## Common misspellings (12)
`bbeholder`, `behholder`, `behloder`, `behodler`, `beholdder`, `beholderr`, `beholdre`, `beholedr`, `behollder`, `beohlder`, `bheolder`, `ebholder`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/beholder