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purchase

Pronunciation: /ˈpɜːtʃɪs/

The English word “purchase” has 16 meanings listed here.

noun

  1. The acquisition of title to, or property in, anything for a price; buying for money or its equivalent.
  2. That which is obtained for a price in money or its equivalent.
  3. That which is obtained, got or acquired, in any manner, honestly or dishonestly; property; possession; acquisition.
  4. The act or process of seeking and obtaining something (e.g. property, etc.)
  5. A price paid for a house or estate, etc. equal to the amount of the rent or income during the stated number of years.
  6. Any mechanical hold or advantage, applied to the raising or removing of heavy bodies, as by a lever, a tackle or capstan.
  7. The apparatus, tackle or device by which such mechanical advantage is gained and (in nautical terminology) the ratio of such a device, like a pulley, or block and tackle.
  8. The amount of hold one has from an individual foothold or ledge.
  9. Acquisition of lands or tenements by means other than descent or inheritance, namely, by one's own act or agreement.

verb

  1. To buy, obtain by payment of a price in money or its equivalent.
  2. To pursue and obtain; to acquire by seeking; to gain, obtain, or acquire.
  3. To obtain by any outlay, as of labor, danger, or sacrifice, etc.
  4. To expiate by a fine or forfeit.
  5. To apply to (anything) a device for obtaining a mechanical advantage; to get a purchase upon, or apply a purchase to; to raise or move by mechanical means.
  6. To put forth effort to obtain anything; to strive; to exert oneself.
  7. To constitute the buying power for a purchase, have a trading value.

Etymology

From Middle English purchasen, from Anglo-Norman purchacer (“seek to obtain”) from pur- (from Latin pro-) + chac(i)er (“to chase, pursue”). Compare Old French porchacier (“to follow, to chase”), which has given French pourchasser (“to chase without relent”).

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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.