Acquittance

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Acquittance \Ac*quit"tance\, v. t.
     To acquit. [Obs.] --Shak.
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:



  Acquittance \Ac*quit"tance\, n. [OF. aquitance, fr. aquiter. See
     {Acquit}.]
     1. The clearing off of debt or obligation; a release or
        discharge from debt or other liability.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A writing which is evidence of a discharge; a receipt in
        full, which bars a further demand.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              You can produce acquittances
              For such a sum, from special officers. --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  acquittance
       n : a legal document evidencing the discharge of a debt or
           obligation [syn: {release}]

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  ACQUITTANCE, contracts. An agreement in writing to discharge a party from an
  engagement to pay a sum of money. It is evidence of payment. It differs from
  a release in this, that the latter must be under seal, while an acquittance
  need not be under seal. Poth. Oblig. n. 781. In Pennsylvania, a receipt,
  (q.v.) though not under seal, has nearly the same effect as a release. 1
  Rawle, R. 391. Vide 3 Salk. 298, pl. 2; Off. of Ex. 217 ; Co. Litt. 212 a,
  273 a.