holdout

Meanings

Plural: holdouts

Noun

• a negotiator who hopes to gain concessions by refusing to come to terms
  • "their star pitcher was a holdout for six weeks"
• a refusal by a negotiator to come to terms in the hope of obtaining a better deal
• the act of hiding playing cards in a gambling game so they are available for personal use later
• 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.
• A device for cheating at card games by covertly holding a card out of play until it is wanted.

Related Words

holdover, nail house