hold dear vs love

hold dear is not a noun while love is a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
hold dear	No	No	Yes	No
love	Yes	No	Yes	No

As verbs, love is a hypernym of hold dear; that is, love is a word with a broader meaning than hold dear:

hold dear (noun)	love (noun)
	sexual activities (often including sexual intercourse) between two people
	any object of warm affection or devotion
	a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
	a deep feeling of sexual desire and attraction
	a beloved person; used as terms of endearment
	a score of zero in tennis or squash

hold dear (verb)	love (verb)
be fond of; be attached to	have sexual intercourse with
	have a great affection or liking for
	be enamored or in love with
	get pleasure from