Harold Holt

noun

A sudden departure.

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Meanings

nounHarold Holt (countable and uncountable, plural Harold Holts)

plural Harold Holts

  1. AustraliancountableslangA sudden departure.
  2. AustraliancountableslanguncountableSalt.

Origin

From both the fact that "Holt" rhymes with "bolt" and that Harold Holt (Australia's 17th Prime Minister) died in office after disappearing after a swim. As "Holt" also rhymes with "salt", the term has also been used to refer to salt, but this usage is less common.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Harold Holt. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Harold%20Holt

MLA

“Harold Holt.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Harold%20Holt. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Harold Holt,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Harold%20Holt.

Source: Harold Holt on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.