Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “holdout” come from?

Holdout derives from English out and English hole, from Old English hold and Old English hol meaning hollow, traced to Proto-Indo-European kel-.

holdout (English): One who refuses to give consent to an agreement...

Definitions

  1. One who refuses to give consent to an agreement...

Ancestry of “holdout”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishhold out—
2EnglishholdTo grasp or grip; To contain or store; "To...
3EnglishholeA hollow place or cavity; an excavation; a pit;...
4Middle Englishholehealthy; safe; whole, complete, full
5Old Englishhola hole, a hollow; calumny; slander
6Proto-West Germanicholhollow; hole
7Proto-Germanichuląa hollow; depression; hole
8Proto-Germanichulazhollow
9Proto-Indo-Europeanḱel-to cover; to incline
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- →