loan

¹

[ lohn ]

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 ( def ).

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.

loan

²

[ lohn ]

noun

, Scot.

1. a country lane; secondary road.
2. an uncultivated plot of farmland, usually used for milking cows.

loan

¹

/ ləʊn; ˈləʊnɪŋ /

noun

1. a lane
2. a place where cows are milked

loan

²

/ 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. on loan
   1. lent out; borrowed
   2. (esp of personnel) transferred from a regular post to a temporary one elsewhere

verb

1. to lend (something, esp money)

Usage Note

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.

Derived Forms

• ˈloaner, noun
• ˈloanable, adjective

Other Words From

• un·loaned adjective

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of loan¹

Old English lone, variant of lane ¹

Origin of loan²

C13 loon, lan, from Old Norse lān; related to Old English lǣn loan; compare German Lehen fief, Lohn wages

Idioms and Phrases

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.

Example Sentences

Bradford went through the online lender Kabbage since she already had a loan with them, and they had all her documentation.

From ProPublica

When you’re applying for a mortgage loan, you’re going to need homeowner’s insurance.

From Washington Blade

Criticized loans at those banks are now equivalent to 9, 13 and 25 percent of tier one equity capital — the core measure of a bank’s financial strength — respectively, according to S&P Market Intelligence.

From Ozy

That will include $100 million in equity, plus $50 million in the form of a convertible loan, the company said.

From TechCrunch

If the loan goes to foreclosure, the bank dispatches someone to find the right box and dig out the relevant files.

From Fortune

This loan has done nothing to deter the hardliners: just ask the current occupants of Evin prison.

From The Daily Beast

What were the terms of the loan—did the Hermitage pay and if not, why not?

From The Daily Beast

He jokes about going through airport security with the then 800-year-old document, which is now on loan to the National Archives.

From The Daily Beast

He continues to search for a loan to renovate his beloved Hotel Pourquoi Pas?

From The Daily Beast

Old people vote in midterms, so it stands a much better chance of having an impact than a last-second student-loan scare.

From The Daily Beast

War credit banks were more general in their dealings than war loan banks.

From Project Gutenberg

Must I add, that your good money paid this second loan—and yet a third—a fourth—a fifth?

From Project Gutenberg

They would certainly ask that question, and perhaps refuse the loan.

From Project Gutenberg

For us to take her place it became necessary for us to loan before we could sell and buy.

From Project Gutenberg

Syfe settled with him in cash by taking a large loan on his homestead and giving Barr the proceeds.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• lend
• provide