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.

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

Also loan·ing

[lohn]

noun

Scot.

1. a country lane; secondary road.

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

loan

¹

/ 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

verb

1. to lend (something, esp money)

loan

²

/ ləʊn, ˈləʊnɪŋ /

noun

1. a lane

2. a place where cows are milked

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

• loaner noun
• loanable adjective
• unloaned adjective
• unloaning 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

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

Origin of loan²

Old English lone, variant of _lane ¹

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

He has not played for the club since and spent last season on an underwhelming loan at Arsenal.

From BBC

The money is awarded as either gap financing or soft loans, which have little or no interest.

From Los Angeles Times

AlHusseini allegedly falsified records to inflate his assets to obtain the loans, and Sanberg concealed from investigators that he was the source for revenue that was recognized by the company.

From Los Angeles Times

Two years ago, the court in the same 6-3 vote struck down Biden’s plan to forgive hundreds of millions of dollars in student loans.

From Los Angeles Times

The man known for tailored daywear had quietly built a repertoire of exquisite evening clothes, many of them on loan from their famous owners for the Guggenheim exhibit.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• allowance 
• credit 
• investment 
• mortgage