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To bring on; to incur; to acquire; as, to contract a habit; to contract a debt; to contract a disease. Each from each contract new strength and light. Pope. Such behavior we contract by having much conversed with persons of high statiSwift.

The act of incurring or becoming subject to, as liabilities, obligation, debts, etc.; the process of becoming subject to; as, the contraction of a disease.

utes, or is liable to be called upon to contribute, as toward the discharge of a common indebtedness. Abbott.

who gives credit in business matters; hence, one to whom money is due; -- correlative to debtor. Creditors have better memories than debtors. Franklin.

the Sultan Selim III., in 1801, to be conferred upon foreigners to whom Turkey might be indebted for valuable services. Brande & C.

o a penalty to be inflicted by him. [Obs.] This sense is retained in the proverb, "Out of debt out of danger." Those rich man in whose debt and danger they be not. Robynson (More's Utopia). -- To do danger, to cause danger. [Obs.] Shak.

ng; age; time. A man who was great among the Hellenes of his day. Jowett (Thucyd. ) If my debtors do not keep their day, . . . I must with patience all the terms attend. Dryden.

A journal of accounts; a primary record book in which are recorded the debts and credits, or accounts of the day, in their order, and from which they are transferred to the journal.

come out exactly equal, so that neither wins. -- Dead horse, an expression applied to a debt for wages paid in advance. [Law] -- Dead language, a language which is no longer spoken or in common use by a people, and is known only in writings, as the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. -- Dead letter. (a) A letter which, after…

A writing acknowledging a debt; a writing or certificate signed by a public officer, as evidence of a debt due to some person; the sum thus due.

The debt or series of debts, collectively, represented by a series of debentures; a debt secured by a trust deed of property for the benefit of the holders of shares in the debt or of a series of debentures. By the terms of much debenture stock the holders are not entitled to demand payment until the winding up of the…

A debt; an entry on the debtor (Dr.) side of an account; -- mostly used adjectively; as, the debit side of an account.

A debtor. [Obs.] Shak.

To pay or discharge; to serve in payment of; to provide for, as a charge, debt, expenses, costs, etc. For the discharge of his expenses, and defraying his cost, he allowed him . . . four times as much. Usher.

is principal the solvency of the purchaser, the engagement of the factor being to pay the debt himself if it is not punctually discharged by the buyer when it becomes due.

A kind of novation by which a debtor, to be liberated from his creditor, gives him a third person, who becomes obliged in his stead to the creditor, or to the person appointed by him. Pothier.

right; to claim, as something due; to call for urgently or peremptorily; as, to demand a debt; to demand obedience. This, in our foresaid holy father's name, Pope Innocent, I do demand of thee. Shak.

rals, plants, or animals, to the species to which they belong; classification; as, I am indebted to a friend for the determination of most of these shells.

Debt. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Free from debt. [Obs.] Chaucer.