Debt

• POS: Noun

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Debt, n.
1 something that is owed, esp. money.
2 a state of obligation to pay something owed (in debt; out of debt; get into debt).

Idiom

debt-collector a person who is employed to collect debts for creditors. debt of honour a debt not legally recoverable, esp. a sum lost in gambling. in a person's debt under an obligation to a person.

Etymology

ME det(te) f. OF dette (later debte) ult. f. L debitum past part. of debere owe

DEVIL DICTIONARY

Debt

n. An ingenious substitute for the chain and whip of the slave- driver.

As, pent in an aquarium, the troutlet
Swims round and round his tank to find an outlet,
Pressing his nose against the glass that holds him,
Nor ever sees the prison that enfolds him;
So the poor debtor, seeing naught around him,
Yet feels the narrow limits that impound him,
Grieves at his debt and studies to evade it,
And finds at last he might as well have paid it.
Barlow S. Vode

THESAURUS

Debt

accountability, accountable, answerable for, arrearage, arrears, beholden, borrowing, debit, debtor, default, deficit, delinquency, due, encumbered, encumbrance, financing, hire purchase, hitting, hitting-up, hocking, in arrears, in debt, in hock, in the red, indebted, indebtedness, installment buying, installment plan, liability, liable, money-raising, mortgaging, nonpayment, obligation, owing, pawning, pledging, responsibility, responsible, sin, straitened, touching, under obligation, wickedness, wrong

ROGET THESAURUS

Debt

Property

N property, possession, suum cuique, meum et tuum, ownership, proprietorship, lordship, seignority, empire, interest, stake, estate, right, title, claim, demand, holding, tenure, vested interest, contingent interest, beneficial interest, equitable interest, use, trust, benefit, legal estate, equitable estate, seizin, seisin, absolute interest, paramount estate, freehold, fee tail, fee simple, estate in fee, estate in tail, estate tail, estate in tail male, estate in tail female, estate in tail general, limitation, term, lease, settlement, strict settlement, particular estate, estate for life, estate for years, estate pur autre vie, remainder, reversion, expectancy, possibility, dower, dowry, jointure, appanage, inheritance, heritage, patrimony, alimony, legacy, Falcidian law, paternal estate, thirds, assets, belongings, means, resources, circumstances, wealth, money, what one is worth, what one will cut up for, estate and effects, landed property, landed real estate property, realty, land, lands, tenements, hereditaments, corporeal hereditaments, incorporeal hereditaments, acres, ground, acquest, messuage, toft, territory, state, kingdom, principality, realm, empire, protectorate, sphere of influence, manor, honor, domain, demesne, farm, plantation, hacienda, allodium, fief, fieff, feoff, feud, zemindary, dependency, arado, merestead, ranch, free lease-holds, copy lease-holds, folkland, chattels real, fixtures, plant, heirloom, easement, right of common, right of user, personal property, personal estate, personal effects, personalty, chattels, goods, effects, movables, stock, stock in trade, things, traps, rattletraps, paraphernalia, equipage, parcels, appurtenances, impedimenta, luggage, baggage, bag and baggage, pelf, cargo, lading, rent roll, income, maul and wedges, patent, copyright, chose in action, credit, debt, one's own, landed, predial, manorial, allodial, free lease-hold, copy lease-hold, feudal, feodal, to one's credit, to one's account, to the good, to one and his heirs for ever, to one and the heirs of his body, to one and his heirs and assigns, to one and his executors administrators and assign.

Debt

N debt, obligation, liability, indebtment, debit, score, bill, check, account (credit), arrears, deferred payment, deficit, default, insolvency, bad debt, interest, premium, usance, usury, floating debt, floating capital, debtor, debitor, mortgagor, defaulter, borrower, indebted, liable, chargeable, answerable for, in debt, in embarrassed circumstances, in difficulties, incumbered, involved, involved in debt, plunged in debt, deep in debt, over one's head in debt, over head and ears in debt, deeply involved, fast tied up, insolvent, minus, out of pocket, unpaid, unrequited, unrewarded, owing, due, in arrear, outstanding, past due, aes alienum debitorem leve gravius inimicum facit, neither a borrower nor a lender be.