bill of exchange

noun

1. a written authorization or order to pay a specified sum of money to a specified person.

bill of exchange

noun

1. (now chiefly in foreign transactions) a document, usually negotiable, containing an instruction to a third party to pay a stated sum of money at a designated future date or on demand

Word History and Origins

Origin of bill of exchange¹

First recorded in 1570–80

Example Sentences

Morris "relied on public-spirited financiers like Salomon to subscribe to the bank, find purchasers for government bills of exchange, and lend their own money to the government," according to the National Park Service.

From Time

In the Middle Ages, metal coins were supplemented by bills of exchange to make long-term trade easier.

From Economist

A merchant from Lyon who wanted to buy - say - Florentine wool could go to this banker and borrow something called a bill of exchange.

From BBC

Ye Xiaofeng, founder of blockchain start-up ZerOne.IO, said he was talking to two of China's four biggest banks looking to use blockchain for monitoring bills of exchange and credit tracking.

From Reuters

Morgan Chase might make of Frederick Warren, who strolls into the Bank of England in 1873 and passes off a forged bill of exchange — one of many, as it turns out.

From New York Times