holdup Hear it!

holdup Definition

☆ hold·up (hōld′up′)

noun

  1. a stoppage; delay or hindrance
  2. the act of stopping forcibly and robbing
  3. Informal the act of overcharging
  4. Chem.
    1. the amount of liquid retained or delayed during fractional distillation and certain types of solvent extractions
    2. the free volume between the resin particles in an ion exchange column
  5. Physics the amount of fissionable material being processed or in storage for irradiation in a reactor cycle

holdup Synonyms

holdup

n.

robbery, burglary, stick-up*; see crime 2, theft.

holdup Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • cause: There were also several sections of roadworks along the main 125 road which caused some holdups particularly during the rush-hours.
  • do: The description for each of the men doing the daring holdups was different.

Adjective modifier

  • major: Unfortunately samples of one don't give much statistical confidence, and will only give reliable information in a major holdup.
  • initial: E.g. do we really know the initial holdup and internal energy in the tank?

Modifies a noun

  • man: The holdup man, who did not flash a weapon, demanded the money from a teller at a Commerce Bank near York.

Noun used with modifier

  • traffic: No doubt at enormous cost, the councils have succeeded in creating traffic holdups where previously there were none.