A small piece of woodland or a woody hill; a copse.
"The deer sought shelter in the holt to escape the hunting dogs."
In plain English: A holt is an old word for a small group of trees growing together, usually found near water.
"The old oak tree stood tall in the woods near holt."
Usage: Use holt to describe a specific, often secluded patch of trees rather than general forest areas like wood or grove. This term is most common in British English and literary contexts when referring to the habitat of wild animals such as foxes or badgers.
An English and north-west European topographic surname for someone who lived by a small wood.
"The family name Holt is common in England because it originally described people who lived near a small wood."
The word "holt" comes from Old English, where it originally meant a forest or grove. It traveled into modern usage with this same meaning of a wooded area.