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Owe vs Lend - What's the difference?

owe | lend |

As verbs the difference between owe and lend

is that owe is to be under an obligation to give something back to someone or to perform some action for someone while lend is to allow to be used by someone temporarily, on condition that it or its equivalent will be returned.

As a noun lend is

the lumbar region; loin.

owe

English

Verb

(ow)
  • To be under an obligation to give something back to someone or to perform some action for someone.
  • *1854 , Dickens, Hard Times , Chapter 7:
  • *:He inherited a fair fortune from his uncle, but owed it all before he came into it, and spent it twice over immediately afterwards.
  • To have debt, to be in debt.
  • Usage notes

    * The original past tense form was ought, which during Middle English began to be used with indefinite signification and has become a distinct verb. The original past participle has become the adjective own.

    Anagrams

    *

    lend

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) lende (usually in plural as lendes, leendes, lyndes), from (etyl) lendenu, .

    Alternative forms

    * (l), (l), (l) (Scotland) * (l) (obsolete)

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • The lumbar region; loin.
  • The loins; flank; buttocks.
  • Etymology 2

    From earlier len (with excrescent -d'', as in . See also (l).

    Verb

  • To allow to be used by someone temporarily, on condition that it or its equivalent will be ed.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-01, volume=407, issue=8838, page=71, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= End of the peer show , passage=Finance is seldom romantic. But the idea of peer-to-peer lending comes close. This is an industry that brings together individual savers and lenders on online platforms. Those that want to borrow are matched with those that want to lend .}}
  • To make a loan.
  • (reflexive) To be suitable or applicable, to fit.
  • To afford; to grant or furnish in general.
  • Can you lend me some assistance?
    The famous director lent his name to the new film.
  • * Addison
  • Cato, lend me for a while thy patience.
  • * J. A. Symonds
  • Mountain lines and distant horizons lend space and largeness to his compositions.
  • (proscribed) To borrow.
  • Antonyms
    * borrow
    Derived terms
    * lend to believe * have a lend
    See also
    * give back * lender * loan * pay back