front money

[ fruhnt muhn-ee ]

noun

1. money paid in advance, as for goods or services, to a commission agent or the like.
2. capital necessary to begin a business enterprise.
3. Also called ad·vance fee [ad-, vans, fee]. money furnished by a company to a financier under a promise to procure funds for it.

Word History and Origins

Origin of front money¹

First recorded in 1925–30