to hold water
Preserved but no longer current.
To bear close inspection ; to endure a trial; generally used negatively, as "That statement of yours won't hold water," i.e. it will prove false as soon as it is examined. A vessel that will hold water is sound.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to hold water” mean?
To bear close inspection ; to endure a trial; generally used negatively, as "That statement of yours won't hold water," i.e. it will prove false as soon as it is examined. A vessel that will hold water is sound.
Is “to hold water” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.