exchequer
[ eks-chek-er, iks-chek-er ]
/ ˈɛks tʃɛk ər, ɪksˈtʃɛk ər /
noun
a treasury, as of a state or nation.
(in Great Britain)
- (often initial capital letter) the governmental department in charge of the public revenues.
- (formerly) an office administering the royal revenues and determining all cases affecting them.
- (initial capital letter)Also called Court of Exchequer. an ancient common-law court of civil jurisdiction in which cases affecting the revenues of the crown were tried, now merged in the King's Bench Division of the High Court.
Informal.
one's financial resources; funds: I'd love to go, but the exchequer is a bit low.
Origin of exchequer
1250–1300; Middle English
escheker, eschequier < Anglo-French
escheker, eschekier (Old French
eschequier) chessboard, counting table. See
checker1
Words nearby exchequer
exchange student,
exchange transfusion,
exchangeable,
exchangee,
exchanger,
exchequer,
excide,
excimer,
excipient,
exciple,
excipulum
Example sentences from the Web for exchequer
British Dictionary definitions for exchequer (1 of 2)
exchequer
/ (ɪksˈtʃɛkə) /
noun
(often capital) government
(in Britain and certain other countries) the accounting department of the Treasury, responsible for receiving and issuing funds
informal
personal funds; finances
Word Origin for exchequer
C13 (in the sense: chessboard, counting table): from Old French
eschequier, from
eschec
check