holding tank

[hohl-ding tangk]

noun

1. a tank for the temporary storage of a substance.

2. Also called holding pen. tank.

Word History and Origins

Origin of holding tank¹

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

But it also sets aside an extra $5 million for that agency’s operations in a little-known section of the budget known as the “unappropriated balance,” which serves as a holding tank for funds that have not yet been finalized.

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He believes high levels of gas were produced in the holding tank that exploded, which may have been ignited by a spark on the day of the incident.

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"From the start of the plant all the way through to the holding tank, the complete biogas system was dangerous," he said.

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Sometime after noon, another transgender woman in the holding tank asked a deputy whether a bus would come for them.

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A couple of weeks later Perez found herself back in the same holding tank, surrounded by inmates desperate to get to court.

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