LOAN, noun 1. The act of lending; a lending. 2. That which is lent; any thing furnished for temporary use to a person at his request, on the express or implied condition that the specific thing shall be returned, or its equivalent in kind, but without compensation for the use; as a loan of a book or of bread. 3. Something furnished for temporary use, on the condition that it shall be returned or its equivalent, but with a compensation for the use. In this sense, loan is generally applied to money. [See Lend.] 4. A furnishing; permission to use; grant of the use; as a loan of credit. LOAN, verb transitive To lend; to deliver to another for temporary use, on condition that the thing shall be returned, as a book; or to deliver for use, on condition that an equivalent in kind shall be returned, as bread; or to deliver for temporary use, on condition that an equivalent in kind shall be returned, with a compensation for the use, as in the case of money at interest. Bills of credit were issued, to be loaned on interest.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI