loan

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   An amount of money that you borrow and must pay back, often with extra interest.

   She took out a loan from the bank to buy a car.

2. 2
   noun

   The act of lending something for a short time.

   Thank you for the loan of your lawn mower.

3. 3
   verb

   To lend something to someone.

   Could you loan me twenty dollars until payday?

From Middle English lone, lane, from Old Norse lán, from Proto-Germanic *laihną, from Proto-Indo-European *leykʷ- (“to leave (over)”). Cognate with Icelandic lán, Swedish lån, Danish lån, German Lehen (“fief”), Dutch leen (“fief”), West Frisian lien, North Frisian leen (“fief; loan; office”), Scots lane, lain, len, Old English lǣn. More at lend.

Topics