1) A piece of land by a river or stream, often under water in times of flood.
The word gave rise to numerous place-names, many with dates from the twelfth century, even those of minor importance. It remained active in the regional vocabulary: 1558 to make all the hedge pertenynge to the said holme ... make and upholde the wayres betwixt the water of Calder and the said holme, Southowram
1580 the streame ... running from the upper end of a little holme called cisseroide, Barkisland
1658 a close called Stotheley Holme adjoining upon the watter of Calder, Langfield. In the early nineteenth century, a local farmer made the following entries in his diary: 1785 I worked in the Holms fitting up gutters in the lowers & spreading the water in the upper
1809 Continued working in the Holms taking the Water, Ovenden.