holdback: Meaning and Definition of

hold•back

Pronunciation: (hōld'bak"), [key]
— n.
  1. the iron or strap on the shaft of a horse-drawn vehicle to which the breeching of the harness is attached, enabling the horse to hold back or to back the vehicle.
  2. a device for restraining or checking, as a doorstop or tieback.
  3. a stop or delay: a holdback in negotiations.
  4. a withholding: the holdback of a day's pay.
  5. something, as a planned expenditure or allotment, that is withheld or deferred.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.