loan

Pluralloans

Formsloans, loaning, loaned

1. 1
   borrowed moneynouncountable

   Money you borrow, for example from a bank, and must pay back later, often with extra money called interest.

   Like borrowing money from a friend and promising to pay it back.

   She took out a loan to buy her first car.

   They paid back the loan over five years.

   UsageYou take out a loan and later pay it back.

   Note
2. 2
   act of lendingnouncountable

   When something is lent to someone for a time, so they can use it and then give it back.

   Like letting a friend use your bike for the day.

   The museum arranged a loan of the painting to a local gallery.

   Thanks to a loan of her neighbor's mixer, she finished the cake.

   UsageWe say the loan of something, and a lent thing is on loan.

3. 3
   lend outverb

   To give someone something to use for a while, expecting to get it back.

   Like handing your umbrella to a friend so they stay dry, knowing you'll get it back.

   Can you loan me five dollars until tomorrow?

   He offered to loan his bike to a friend for the weekend.

   UsageSay loan someone something or loan it to someone. In British English, say lend.

   Similarlend

   Oppositeborrow

   Note
4. 4
   borrowed wordnouncountable

   A word that one language has taken from another language and now uses as its own.

   The English word "ballet" is a loan from French.

   Japanese has many loans from English, especially words for sports.

   UsageSay a loan from French or German. People also say loanword.

   Similarborrowing

   Note

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