loan

¹ American  

[lohn] / loʊn /

noun

1. the act of lending; a grant of the temporary use of something.

   the loan of a book.

2. something lent or furnished on condition of being returned, especially a sum of money lent at interest.

   a $1000 loan at 10 percent interest.

3. loanword.

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verb (used with object)

1. to make a loan of; lend.

   Will you loan me your umbrella?

2. to lend (money) at interest.

verb (used without object)

1. to make a loan or loans; lend.

idioms

1. on loan,

   1. borrowed for temporary use.

      How many books can I have on loan from the library at one time?

   2. temporarily provided or released by one's regular employer, superior, or owner for use by another.

      Our best actor is on loan to another movie studio for two films.

loan ² American  

[lohn] / loʊn /

Also loaning

noun

Scot.

1. a country lane; secondary road.

2. an uncultivated plot of farmland, usually used for milking cows.

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loan ¹ British  

/ ləʊn /

noun

1. the act of lending

   the loan of a car

2. 1. property lent, esp money lent at interest for a period of time

   2. ( as modifier )

      loan holder

3. the adoption by speakers of one language of a form current in another language

4. short for loan word

5. 1. lent out; borrowed

   2. (esp of personnel) transferred from a regular post to a temporary one elsewhere

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verb

1. to lend (something, esp money)

loan ² British  

/ ləʊn, ˈləʊnɪŋ /

noun

1. a lane

2. a place where cows are milked

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Usage

Sometimes mistakenly identified as an Americanism, loan1 as a verb meaning “to lend” has been used in English for nearly 800 years: Nearby villages loaned clothing and other supplies to the flood-ravaged town. The occasional objections to loan as a verb referring to things other than money, are comparatively recent. Loan is standard in all contexts but is perhaps most common in financial ones: The government has loaned money to farmers to purchase seed.

Other Word Forms

• loanable adjective
• loaner noun
• unloaned adjective
• unloaning adjective

Etymology

Origin of loan¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English noun lon(e), lan(e), Old English lān, from Old Norse lān; replacing its cognate, Old English lǣn “loan, grant,” cognate with Dutch leen “loan,” German Leh(e)n “fief”; lend

Origin of loan²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English lane, lone, Old English lane, lane ¹

Example Sentences

My brother-in-law previously invested $30,000 to help us remodel the condo, but he isn’t listed on the title or loan.

From MarketWatch

Fraud related to that programme, together with other business loan schemes, is estimated to have cost the public about £1.7bn.

From BBC

Geho first bought bitcoin in 2015, and due to its early growth, he was able to pay off some of his student loans.

From MarketWatch

But one semester short of graduation and with $35,000 in loans, she dropped out.

From The Wall Street Journal

Alnajjar, who has already loaned his campaign $80,000, said he would do a better job than Bass at running the city.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• allowance
• credit
• investment
• mortgage