amortize

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: am=or=tize

CIDE DICTIONARY

amortize, v. t. [OE. amortisen, LL. amortisare, admortizare, F. amortir to sell in mortmain, to extinguish; L. ad + mors death. See Mortmain].

•  To make as if dead; to destroy.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]
•  To alienate in mortmain, that is, to convey to a corporation. See Mortmain.  [1913 Webster]
•  To clear off or extinguish, as a debt, usually by means of a sinking fund.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

amortize, v.tr. (also -ise) Commerce 1 gradually extinguish (a debt) by money regularly put aside.
2 gradually write off the initial cost of (assets).
3 transfer (land) to a corporation in mortmain.

Derivative

amortization n.

Etymology

ME f. OF amortir (stem amortiss-) ult. f. L ad to + mors mort- death

THESAURUS

amortize

abalienate, alien, alienate, assign, barter, bequeath, cede, clear, confer, consign, convey, deed, deed over, deliver, demise, devolve upon, discharge, enfeoff, exchange, give, give title to, hand, hand down, hand on, hand over, honor, lift, liquidate, make accounts square, make over, negotiate, pass, pass on, pass over, pay in full, pay off, pay the bill, pay the shot, pay up, redeem, retire, satisfy, sell, settle, settle on, sign away, sign over, square, square accounts, strike a balance, surrender, take up, trade, transfer, transmit, turn over