instalment

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: in=stal=ment

CIDE DICTIONARY

instalment, n. 

•  The act of installing; installation.  [1913 Webster]

  "Take oaths from all kings and magistrates at their installment, to do impartial justice by law."  [1913 Webster]
•  The seat in which one is placed.  [1913 Webster]

  "The several chairs of order, look, you scour; . . .
  Each fair installment, coat, and several crest
  With loyal blazon, evermore be blest."  [1913 Webster]
•  A portion of a debt, or sum of money, which is divided into portions that are made payable at different times; that portion of a debt payed back in any one payment; as, the next installment is due January first. Payment by installment is payment by parts at different times, the amounts and times being often definitely stipulated.  Bouvier.  [1913 Webster]
•  a part of a broadcast serial.  [WordNet 1.5]
•  a part of a published serial.  [WordNet 1.5]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

instalment, n. (US installment)
1 a sum of money due as one of several usu. equal payments for something, spread over an agreed period of time.
2 any of several parts, esp. of a television or radio serial or a magazine story, published or shown in sequence at intervals.

Idiom

instalment plan payment by instalments, esp. hire purchase.

Etymology

alt. f. obs. estallment f. AF estalement f. estaler fix: prob. assoc. with INSTALLATION