exchequer

See also: Exchequer

English

Alternative forms

• exchecker (obsolete)

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.

Medieval Latin scaccus

Proto-Indo-European *-yósder.

Proto-Italic *-āzijos

Medieval Latin -ārius

Medieval 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.

Pronunciation

• enPR: ĕks-chĕk'-ər, iks-chĕk'-ər: IPA^(key): /ɛksˈt͡ʃɛ.kɚ/, /ɪksˈt͡ʃɛ.kɚ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

exchequer (plural exchequers)

1. An office of revenue taxation; a treasury.
2. An available fund of money, especially one for a specific purpose.
   • 1934, Ernest Bramah, The Bravo of London:

     "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.

Derived terms

• Exchequer
• exchequer bill
• exchequership

Translations

treasury — see treasury

fund for specific purpose

• Finnish: kassa (fi)
• Polish: finanse (pl) nvir pl

Verb

exchequer (third-person singular simple present exchequers, present participle exchequering, simple past and past participle exchequered)

1. (transitive) To proceed against (a person) in the Court of Exchequer.