Used in games such as go or shogi, and in poetry contests, to indicate a drawn match or tied result.
This game ended in a draw.
The go match ended in a draw.
There was a tie in the poetry contest.
That contest finished as a draw.
maintenance; preservation; keeping up
physical support; propping up; holding up
possession; carrying; having on one's person
retention; maintenance; preservation
continuation; persistence; sustaining
bring; take; carry
chronic disease; chronic illness; old complaint · bad habit; intractable habit
cherished opinion; pet theory; personal view
endurance; persistence; holding out
adhere firmly to; hold fast to; maintain steadfastly
pride; dignity; self-respect
protect and maintain; defend and uphold
prayer for healing/protection; incantation; faith healing · adhisthana; blessing of a buddha or bodhisattva
grasp; hold; grip
firm adherence; persistence; sticking to one's guns
taking charge; presiding over
possession; enjoyment of rights
chief priest of a temple
remembering and honoring Buddha's teachings
support; carrying; bearing
personal Buddha statue
strict adherence to Buddhist precepts
observance of Buddhist precepts
attribute of a Buddhist deity; ritual object held by a Buddhist image
jigo; tied game of Go; draw in Go
The kanji 持 means 'hold' or 'maintain', and here it refers to a state where neither side can claim victory, i.e., a drawn position. The exact historical derivation of this specific usage is uncertain.