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

By mandating that the spending gaps will be filled by significant tax rises, the strategy here is to communicate overwhelming political pain tolerance to markets that lend money to the exchequer.

From BBC

Between them, these perks cost the exchequer about £50bn a year.

From BBC

Labour politicians Matthew Pennycook, the Greenwich and Woolwich MP, and Rachel Reeves MP, the current chancellor of the exchequer and a former junior chess champion, both made representations on their behalf.

From BBC

The jury is still out on whether 'New Welfarism' is hurting the exchequer.

From BBC

The whole thing oozed with a sense of perceived imminent power: that the author of the book, The Women Who Made Modern Economics, would soon be chancellor of the exchequer.

From BBC

Related Words

• gift
• money
• prize
• reward
• wealth