holdout

Etymology

hold + out, from the phrasal verb.

noun

1. One who refuses to give consent to an agreement in the hope of an improved offer; one who holds out; one who clings to a cause that has been mostly abandoned.
   If Facebook chooses to remain a holdout, it will not be as the head of a countercoalition but as a cranky recluse. November 4, 2007, Randall Stross, “Why Google Turned Into a Social Butterfly”, in New York Times
   One of Otto’s first moves after Viserys’ death is to make the lords and ladies of the Red Keep bend the knee to Aegon. The two holdouts are swiftly carted away by the guards, while the third, Rhaenyra’s faithful Lord Caswell (Paul Hickey), reluctantly kneels. October 16, 2022, Jenna Scherer, “An enticing House Of The Dragon crowns Westeros' new ruler”, in AV Club
2. (card games) A device for cheating at card games by covertly holding a card out of play until it is wanted.
   He is probably working a vest or sleeve hold-out. Some clumsy or audacious sharpers will go so far as to hold out cards in their lap, or stick them in a "bug" under the table. 1897, Robert Frederick Foster, Foster's Complete Hoyle, page 195