debenture

[ dih-ben-cher ]

/ dɪˈbɛn tʃər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR debenture ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

certificate of indebtedness.

a certificate of drawback issued at a custom house.

RELATED WORDS

voucher, bond, I.O.U.

Nearby words

Origin of debenture

1425–75; late Middle English debentur < Latin dēbentur (mihi) there are owing (to me), 3rd person plural passive indicative of dēbēre to owe (see debt)

Related formsde·ben·tured, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for debenture

He drew a princely salary and a substantial dividend, he was listed as a debenture holder and was accounted a rich man.
The Green Rust|Edgar Wallace
From the point of view of the security they are either debentures (simply); mortgage debentures; debenture bonds.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 10|Various
The receiver general would then deliver to the bank an amount of registered notes equal to the amount of debenture lodged.
Montreal 1535-1914, Volume II (of 2)|William Henry Atherton
For every certificate or debenture, for drawing back any duty on the re-shipping of goods, one dollar.
Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. II (of 16)|Thomas Hart Benton

The first two of the above acts relate to mortgages and bonds, the last to debenture stock.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 10|Various

British Dictionary definitions for debenture

debenture

/ (dɪˈbɛntʃə) /

noun

Also called: debenture bond a long-term bond, bearing fixed interest and usually unsecured, issued by a company or governmental agency

a certificate acknowledging the debt of a stated sum of money to a specified person

a customs certificate providing for a refund of excise or import duty

Derived Formsdebentured, adjective

Word Origin for debenture

C15: from Latin phrase dēbentur mihi there are owed to me, from dēbēre to owe

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for debenture

debenture

"written acknowledgment of a debt," early 15c., from Latin debentur "there are due" (said to have been the first word in formal certificates of indebtedness), passive present third person plural of debere "to owe" (see debt).