IOU

or I.O.U.

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

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON PARENTHESES AND BRACKETS APLENTY!

Set some time apart to test your bracket symbol knowledge, and see if you can keep your parentheses, squares, curlies, and angles all straight!

Question 1 of 7

Let’s start with some etymology: What are the origins of the typographical word “bracket”?

First appeared around 1750, and is related to the French word “braguette” for the name of codpiece armor.

First appeared in 1610, based on the French word “baguette” for the long loaf of bread.

First appeared in 1555, and is related to the French word “raquette” for a netted bat.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for IOU

Director Yoo Dong-hun and screenwriter Lee Jung-u were arrested for firebombing theaters.
Propaganda, Protest, and Poisonous Vipers: The Cinema War in Korea|Rich Goldstein|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And so the “Glo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ria” in this number earns it a spot on my list.
Yes, I Like Christmas Music. Stop Laughing.|Michael Tomasky|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Mahoney helped author the I-STOP legislation based on data his office collected in regard to fraud.
No More Paper Prescriptions: Docs Fight Fraud by Going Electronic|Dale Eisinger|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He came at David O. Selznick's urging, and together they made Rebecca, Spellbound, and The Paradine Case.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST

As of 2012, there are over 523,000 people across the country on Medicaid waiver lists; over 309,000 of those people have I/DD.
Medicaid Will Give You Money for At-Home Care, but You Might Wait Years|Elizabeth Picciuto|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sleek finds it far harder work than fortune-making; but he pursues his Will-o'-the-Wisp with untiring energy.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
U was an Usurer, a miserable elf; V was a Vintner, who drank all himself.
Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various
O death, how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that hath peace in his possessions!
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
D'o l'on peut aussy veoir, quelle esperance il y a de planter une belle chrestient par tels evangelistes.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
That they may know thee, as we also have known thee, that there is no God beside thee, O Lord.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various

British Dictionary definitions for IOU

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 IOU

IOU

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

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