escrow

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a written agreement (or property or money) delivered to a third party or put in trust by one party to a contract to be returned after fulfillment of some condition

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Law French escrowe, from Old French escroe (“register, note; bit of parchment; piece”), from Frankish *skrōda (“piece”), from Proto-Germanic *skraudō, derivative of Proto-Germanic *skraudaną (“to shred”). Doublet of scrow and shred and partially scroll.

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