Definition of holdbacks:
(n) :
A restraint; a device or part of a device that operates to restrain.
(n) :
(accounting) Income that is set aside for eventualities such as customer returns, seasonal fluctuations, performance bonuses, unexpected costs, etc.
(n) :
A portion of the money that is owed to someone which is not paid, but instead held as security, until the entire job or contract has been successfully completed.
(n) :
Money that a buyer does not pay at the time of purchase, but which is paid afterward (sometimes in installments, sometimes on a specified date).
(n) :
The projection or loop, on the thill of a vehicle, to which a strap of the harness is attached, to hold back a carriage when going downhill, or in backing. Also, the strap or part of the harness so used.
(n) :
(car sales) The difference between a dealer's cost and the manufacturer's suggested retail price.