holdout

See also: hold out

English

Etymology

Deverbal from hold out.

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)

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Noun

holdout (plural holdouts)

1. One who refuses to give consent to an agreement in the hope of an improved offer; one who holds out; one who clings to a cause that has been mostly abandoned.
   • 2007 November 4, Randall Stross, “Why Google Turned Into a Social Butterfly”, in New York Times‎^[1]:

     If Facebook chooses to remain a holdout, it will not be as the head of a countercoalition but as a cranky recluse.

   • 2022 October 16, Jenna Scherer, “An enticing House Of The Dragon crowns Westeros' new ruler”, in AV Club‎^[2]:

     One of Otto’s first moves after Viserys’ death is to make the lords and ladies of the Red Keep bend the knee to Aegon. The two holdouts are swiftly carted away by the guards, while the third, Rhaenyra’s faithful Lord Caswell (Paul Hickey), reluctantly kneels.

2. (card games) A device for cheating at card games by covertly holding a card out of play until it is wanted.
   • 1897, Robert Frederick Foster, Foster's Complete Hoyle, page 195:

     He is probably working a vest or sleeve hold-out. Some clumsy or audacious sharpers will go so far as to hold out cards in their lap, or stick them in a "bug" under the table.

Related terms

• holdover

 

See also

• nail house

Anagrams

• outhold

Spanish

Noun

holdout m (plural holdouts)

1. (baseball) holdout