exchequer

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: Ex=cheq=uer

CIDE DICTIONARY

exchequer, n. [OE. escheker, OF. eichekier, fr. LL. scaccarium. See Checker, Chess, Check.].

•  One of the superior courts of law; -- so called from a checkered cloth, which covers, or formerly covered, the table.  [1913 Webster]

  " The exchequer was a court of law and equity. In the revenue department, it had jurisdiction over the proprietary rights of the crown against subjects; in the common law department, it administered justice in personal actions between subject and subject. A person proceeding against another in the revenue department was said to exchequer him. The judges of this court were one chief and four puisne barons, so styled. The Court of Exchequer Chamber sat as court of error in which the judgments of each of the superior courts of common law, in England, were subject to revision by the judges of the other two sitting collectively. Causes involving difficult questions of law were sometimes after argument, adjourned into this court from the other courts, for debate before judgment in the court below. Recent legislation in England (1880) has abolished the Court of Exchequer and the Court of Exchequer Chamber, as distinct tribunals, a single board of judiciary, the High Court of Justice, being established for the trial of all classes of civil cases."  Wharton.  [1913 Webster]
•  The department of state having charge of the collection and management of the royal revenue. [Eng.] Hence, the treasury; and, colloquially, pecuniary possessions in general; as, the company's exchequer is low.  [1913 Webster]

Barons of the exchequer. See under Baron. -- Chancellor of the exchequer. See under Chancellor. -- Exchequer bills or Exchequer bonds (Eng.), bills of money, or promissory bills, issued from the exchequer by authority of Parliament; a species of paper currency emitted under the authority of the government, and bearing interest.

exchequer, v. t. 

 To institute a process against (any one) in the Court of Exchequer.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

exchequer, n.
1 Brit. the former government department in charge of national revenue.

Usage

Its functions now belong to the Treasury, although the name formally survives, esp. in the title Chancellor of the Exchequer.
2 a royal or national treasury.
3 the money of a private individual or group.

Etymology

ME f. AF escheker, OF eschequier f. med.L scaccarium chessboard (its orig. sense, with ref. to keeping accounts on a chequered cloth)

THESAURUS

exchequer

Fort Knox, Swiss bank account, archives, armory, arsenal, assets, attic, balance, bank, bank account, basement, bay, bin, bonded warehouse, bookcase, bottom dollar, box, budget, bunker, bursary, buttery, cargo dock, cash register, cash reserves, cashbox, cellar, checking account, chest, closet, coffer, coin box, command of money, conservatory, crate, crib, cupboard, depository, depot, dock, drawer, dump, finances, fisc, fund, funds, glory hole, godown, gold depository, hold, hutch, kitty, library, life savings, locker, lumber room, lumberyard, magasin, magazine, means, money chest, moneys, nest egg, pecuniary resources, penny bank, piggy bank, pocket, pool, pork barrel, public crib, public till, public treasury, public trough, purse, rack, repertory, repository, reserves, reservoir, resources, rick, safe, safe-deposit box, savings, savings account, shelf, stack, stack room, stock room, storage, store, storehouse, storeroom, strong room, strongbox, substance, subtreasury, supply base, supply depot, tank, till, treasure, treasure house, treasure room, treasure-house, treasury, unregistered bank account, vat, vault, warehouse, wherewithal, wine cellar

ROGET THESAURUS

exchequer

Treasury

N treasury, bank, exchequer, fisc, hanaper, cash register, kutcherry, bursary, strong box, strong hold, strong room, coffer, chest, safe, bank vault, depository, till, tiller, purse, money bag, money box, porte-monnaie, purse strings, pocket, breeches pocket, sinking fund, stocks, public stocks, public funds, public securities, parliamentary stocks, parliamentary funds, parliamentary securities, Consols, credit mobilier, bonds.