'nutrient-holding' originates from modern English compounding of 'nutrient' and 'holding', where 'nutrient' comes from Latin 'nutriēns' (present participle of 'nutrīre', 'to nourish') and 'holding' is the present participle of the verb 'hold'.

'nutrient' passed into English via Latin 'nutriēns' and Old French/Medieval forms (e.g. 'nutriment'), becoming 'nutrient' in Modern English; 'hold' derives from Old English 'healdan' (to hold), which became Middle English 'holden' and modern 'hold', with 'holding' as the present-participle/gerund form. These elements were combined in modern English to form the compound adjective 'nutrient-holding'.

Initially, elements referred separately to 'that which nourishes' ('nutrient') and 'the action/state of holding' ('holding'); over time the compound came to mean specifically 'able to retain nutrients' in contexts such as soil science and horticulture.