exchequer en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- iks-chĕk'-ər
- /ɪksˈt͡ʃɛ.kɚ/
- /ɛksˈt͡ʃɛ.kɚ/
- ĕks-chĕk'-ər
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *tek- Proto-Indo-Iranian *kšáyati Proto-Iranian *xšáyati Old Persian 𐏋 (XŠ) Middle Persian 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠 (mlkʾ) Classical Persian شاه (šāh)bor. Arabic شَاه (šāh)bor. Latin scaccus Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -ārium Medieval Latin scaccarium Anglo-Norman eschekerbor. Middle English escheker English exchequer From Middle English escheker, from Anglo-Norman escheker (“chessboard”), from Medieval Latin scaccarium. This is because the cloth on which the treasurer counted money was chequered like a chessboard.
Meanings
- An office of revenue taxation; a treasury.
-
An available fund of money, especially one for a specific purpose.
"A couple, eh, my girl?" he replied, fishing deeply into both his trouser pockets. "You don't mean tanners by any chance? Well, that's the state of the exchequer." Two sixpences and a few coppers were the result of his investigation.
1934, Ernest Bramah, The Bravo of London:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| exchecker | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| exchequers | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
exchequer bill · exchequership · Exchequer
Translations (2)
pl finanse (fund for specific purpose) · fi kassa (fund for specific purpose)