Hypothecate
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: /hʌɪˈpɒθɪkeɪt/
Origin
From Latin hypothecatus, past participle of hypotheco, hypothecare. This was in turn derived from Ancient Greek ὑποθήκη ("pledge"), from the verb ὑποτίθημι ("to pledge as surety").
Full definition of hypothecate
Verb
- (transitive) To pledge (something) as surety for a loan; to pawn, mortgage.
- 1943, Raymond Chandler, The High Window, Penguin 2005, p. 12:‘My husband, Jasper Murdock, provided in his will that no part of his collection might be sold, loaned or hypothecated during my lifetime.’
- (politics, British) To designate a new tax or tax increase for a specific expenditure
Usage notes
Often wrongly used in place of the word hypothesize.