exchequer

[ eks-chek-er, iks-chek-er ]

noun

1. a treasury, as of a state or nation.
2. (in Great Britain)
   1. (often initial capital letter) the governmental department in charge of the public revenues.
   2. (formerly) an office administering the royal revenues and determining all cases affecting them.
   3. (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.
3. Informal. one's financial resources; funds:

   I'd love to go, but the exchequer is a bit low.

Exchequer

¹

/ ɪksˈtʃɛkə /

noun

1. See Court of Exchequer

exchequer

²

/ ɪksˈtʃɛkə /

noun

1. often capital government (in Britain and certain other countries) the accounting department of the Treasury, responsible for receiving and issuing funds
2. informal.
   personal funds; finances

Word History and Origins

Origin of exchequer¹

1250–1300; Middle English escheker, eschequier < Anglo-French escheker, eschekier ( Old French eschequier ) chessboard, counting table. See checker ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of exchequer¹

C13 (in the sense: chessboard, counting table): from Old French eschequier , from eschec check

Example Sentences

The United Kingdom’s chancellor of the exchequer has been the fastest rising star in the Tory party with clear eyes on No.

From Ozy

A video of George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer... skipping rope.

From The Daily Beast

It's written by the wife of the man likely to be Britain's next chancellor of the Exchequer.

From The Daily Beast

A British prime minister feuding with his chancellor of the exchequer.

From The Daily Beast

Gordon Brown loved being Chancellor of the Exchequer, because finance is the one thing he really knows about.

From The Daily Beast

But the continual drafts had kept ever in advance of the receipts, draining the exchequer—crippling its faculties.

From Project Gutenberg

If it pleased the godly it was a god-send for Bunn whose exchequer it filled to repletion.

From Project Gutenberg

The prime-minister, the chancellor of the exchequer, two other members of the cabinet, and an ambassador were his companions.

From Project Gutenberg

He was the inventor of Exchequer Bills; and they were popularly called Montague's notes.

From Project Gutenberg

He had been ordered by the Commissioners of the Excise to pay ten thousand pounds into the Exchequer for the public service.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• gift
• money
• prize
• reward
• wealth