IOU

or I.O.U.

a written acknowledgment of a debt, especially an informal one consisting only of the letters IOU, the sum owed, and the debtor's signature.

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a granular metamorphic rock.
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Origin of IOU

First recorded in 1610–20; representing I owe you
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to i.o.u.

voucher, bond

British Dictionary definitions for i.o.u.

IOU

noun

a written promise or reminder to pay a debt

Word Origin for IOU

C17: representing I owe you
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

Cultural definitions for i.o.u.

IOU

Abbreviation for “I owe you.” An IOU is a written statement of a borrower's obligation to pay a debt.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.