IOU

IOU
n. a signed document acknowledging a debt.
Etymology: = I owe you

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noun
an informal debt instrument; representing `I owe you'
Hypernyms: ↑note, ↑promissory note, ↑note of hand

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\\|ī(ˌ)ō|yü\ noun (-s)
Etymology: from the pronunciation of I owe you
: a paper that has on it the letters IOU and a signature as an acknowledgment of debt, that names a sum of money, and that is sometimes used as the equivalent of a promissory note

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a written acknowledgment of a debt, esp. an informal one consisting only of the letters IOU, the sum owed, and the debtor's signature.
Also, I.O.U.
[1610-20; repr. I owe you]

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IOU /ī-ō-ūˈ/
noun
A signed slip of paper or other document acknowledging a debt (esp of money) to a specified person, stating the date and nature of the debt
ORIGIN: Pronunciation of I owe you

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IOU UK [ˌaɪ əʊ ˈjuː] US [ˌaɪ oʊ ˈju] noun [countable] [singular IOU plural IOUs] informal
a piece of paper that you sign to say that you owe someone an amount of money. The letters ‘IOU’ sound like the words ‘I owe you’.
Thesaurus: types of written notehyponym parts of pieces of writingmeronym

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n. a signed document acknowledging a debt
Origin:
late 18th cent.: representing the pronunciation of I owe you

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/ˌaıˌoʊˈjuː/ noun, pl IOUs [count]
informal : a usually written promise to pay a debt

I don't have any cash, so I'll have to give you an IOU.

— often used figuratively

The governor has acquired some political IOUs over the years. [=other people owe the governor political favors]

IOU is from the pronunciation of the phrase “I owe you.”

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IOU [ˌaɪ əʊ ˈjuː] [ˌaɪ oʊ ˈjuː] noun (informal)
a written promise that you will pay sb the money you owe them (a way of writing ‘I owe you’)

an IOU for £100

 
Word Origin:
[IOU] late 18th cent.: representing the pronunciation of I owe you.

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • IOU — noun [countable] informal something, usually a note, that you give to someone to show that you owe them a particular sum of money: • Commercial paper is a kind of corporate IOU. * * * IOU UK US /ˌaɪəʊˈjuː/ noun [C] INFORMAL ► ABBREVIATION …   Financial and business terms

  • IOU — [ī΄ō΄yo͞o′] n. pl. IOU s [for I owe you] an informally written, signed acknowledgment of a specified debt, characteristically bearing the letters IOU …   English World dictionary

  • IOU — may refer to:* IOU (debt), an acknowledgement of debt * I.O.U. (song), by jazz funk band Freeez * Investor owned utility * A song on the indie rock album Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? See also * IOYOU …   Wikipedia

  • IOU — [ ,aı ou ju ] noun count INFORMAL a piece of paper that you sign to say that you owe someone an amount of money. The letters IOU sound like the words I owe you …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • IOU — oder I.O.U. ist: ein englischer Ausdruck für Schuldschein (phonetisch sind I O U und I owe you [dt. Ich schulde Ihnen] identisch) eine Abkürzung für die Internationale Olympiajollen Union, der Klassenvereinigung der olympischen Bootsklasse von… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • IOU — a corrupted abbreviated form of the words I owe you . It is a written acknowledgement of a debt. It is not a negotiable instrument, like a cheque, but may be founded upon in court to make recovery of the sum more simple. Collins dictionary of law …   Law dictionary

  • Iou — iou, eou, lheou nm lac Gascogne …   Glossaire des noms topographiques en France

  • IOU — [ˌaı əu ˈju: US ou ] n informal [Date: 1700 1800; Origin: Representing I owe you] a note that you sign to say that you owe someone some money …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • IOU — (I owe you) ‚aɪəʊ juː n. signed note acknowledging a debt …   English contemporary dictionary

  • IOU — ► NOUN ▪ a signed document acknowledging a debt. ORIGIN representing the pronunciation of I owe you …   English terms dictionary

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