assignmentn.
/əˈsʌɪnm(ə)nt/, U.S. /əˈsaɪnmənt/ 1. The action of appointing as a share, allotment.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > possession > giving > distributing or dealing out > [noun] > assigning or allotting
signmentc1425
lotting1449
assignmenta1464
repartition1555
enterpartening1556
allotment?1571
assigning1580
stalment1581
assignation1600
applotment1633
applotting1642
allocation1721
cavelling1805
committal1832
a1464 J. Capgrave Abbreuiacion of Cron. (Cambr. Gg.4.12) (1983) 154 Was assigned to þe qween, his modir, a dowarye, þat men had no mende of swech asignament.
1628 E. Coke 1st Pt. Inst. Lawes Eng. 36 a An assignement of Dower..may be made of more then a third part.
1850 C. Merivale Hist. Romans under Empire II. xx. 394 Assignment of lands to the veterans.
2. Legal transference of a right or property (cf. assign v. 2); the document that effects or authorizes the transference.
ΘΚΠ
society > law > transfer of property > [noun]
release1344
alienationc1425
conveying1483
transportc1485
state making1487
conveyance1523
designation1573
transferring1573
assignation1579
dispose1591
assignment1592
convey1592
disposing1638
disposurea1649
attornment1650
abalienation1656
transfer1674
disposal1697
conveyancing1714
transference1766
disposition1861
society > law > transfer of property > types of transfer > charter or deed conveying property > [noun]
releasea1393
conveyance1576
pancart1577
panchart1587
assignment1592
common assurances1648
chirograph1727
transport brief1895
transport deed1895
1592 W. West Symbolæogr.: 1st Pt. A iiij. §104 To avoid or frustrate the foresaid grants and assignements.
1690 J. Child Disc. Trade v. 109 No Debts, after Assignment, to be liable to any Attachments.
1768 W. Blackstone Comm. Laws Eng. II. 327 In assignments he parts with the whole property, and the assignee stands to all intents and purposes in the place of the assignor.
1861 G. J. Goschen Theory Foreign Exchanges 35 A will not be able to pay B by giving him an assignment on C.
a. = assignation n. 3. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > money > medium of exchange or currency > paper money > promissory notes or bills of exchange > [noun] > other promissory notes or bills
warrant1433
assignmentc1460
policy1623
navy bill1679
redraft1682
tally of pro1691
bank bill1694
bank seal bill1696
chequer-bill1697
assignation1704
chequer-note1705
mint bill1707
transport debenture1707
transport-bill1710
loan-bill1722
treasury note1756
tin bill1778
treasury-bill1798
rescription1800
short bill1808
treasury-warrant1834
sight bill1853
short-paper1912
treasuries1922
T.B.1936
T.D.R.1948
T-Bill1982
c1460 J. Fortescue Governance of Eng. (1714) 34 The poor Man had rather have a 100 Marks in hand, than a 100 Pound by any Assignement.
1678 Spanish Hist. 121 To accept the pensions and assignments which he injoys.
1702 Clarendon's Hist. Rebellion I. ii. 115 [He] had drawn assignments and anticipations upon the Revenue.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > money > medium of exchange or currency > paper money > promissory notes or bills of exchange > [noun] > a promissory note or bill of exchange
exchange1485
bill1579
bill1613
hundi1619
assignment1622
cambio1645
note1653
order1673
bank bill1682
banknote1695
assignation1704
promissory note1710
note of hand1728
stiff1823
time bill1842
PO1861
marker1887
1622 G. de Malynes Consuetudo 335 Paiments by assignement in Banke without handling of moneys.
1708 London Gaz. No. 4496/4 Lost.., one Order of the Bankers Assignments, No. 1783, for 4l. 7s. 8d. per Ann.
4. The allotting of convicts as unpaid servants to colonists; the condition of such service.
ΚΠ
1839 C. Darwin in R. Fitzroy & C. Darwin Narr. Surv. Voy. H.M.S. Adventure & Beagle III. xxi. 531 The years of assignment are passed away with discontent and unhappiness.
1843 Penny Cycl. XXV. 139/2 The operation of assignment in respect to female convicts is even worse.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > office > appointment to office > [noun]
ordainmenta1325
instituingc1380
establishingc1400
assignment1447
prefermentc1465
appointing1520
anointment1561
ordination1650
appointment1658
constitution1665
makinga1715
society > authority > command > command or bidding > [noun] > ordinance, prescription, or appointment
besight1258
ordainmenta1325
constitution1393
assignationa1400
signmentc1425
appointmentc1440
steveningc1440
pointingc1449
ordinationc1450
instituting1534
prescription1542
prescribement1563
assignment1597
nomination1597
designation1609
consignation1650
reassignment1650
reassignation1655
consignmenta1668
appunctuation1768
destination1868
allocation1876
1447 O. Bokenham Lyvys Seyntys 56 I am the aungel the whiche at assignement Of God am comaundyde thy kepre to be.
1532 T. More Confut. Tyndale in Wks. 632/2 By gouernours of hys assignement.
1597 R. Hooker Of Lawes Eccl. Politie v. xii. 20 The only thing which maketh any place publiqve is the publiqve assignement.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > command > command or bidding > [noun]
willeOE
i-bodc888
bodea1000
hestc1000
bedec1175
bodewordc1175
device1307
commandmentc1386
assignment1393
hetec1394
commandinga1400
commissionc1400
willinga1425
mandament1442
behesting1582
command1611
assign1633
jussion1773
1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis III. 15 Went..By his faders assignement To make a wer.
a1513 R. Fabyan New Cronycles Eng. & Fraunce (1516) II. f. xxxiv By his assygnement the Erle of Glowcetyr was than lodgyd within the Cytie.
1611 J. Speed Hist. Great Brit. Summary Concl. sig. Pppppp2v/2 Nations fulfilling their times by Heauens asignement.
1744 Life Boyle in Penny Cycl. V. 297/2 Had he been permitted an election, his choice would scarce have altered God's assignment.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > speech > agreement > [noun] > arrangement for a meeting
tryst1487
trysting1633
assignation1660
assignment1670
1670 C. Cotton tr. G. Girard Hist. Life Duke of Espernon ii. v. 213 In expectation..of an assignment from you, of a day, and place.
8. Attribution as belonging or due to.
ΘΚΠ
the world > existence and causation > existence > intrinsicality or inherence > [noun] > a property, quality, or attribute > attribution of a character or quality
imposition1532
repute1539
reputationc1555
ascription1600
adscription1604
reference1612
attributinga1631
attribution1651
assignment1690
animism1866
animatism1899
1690 J. Locke Two Treat. Govt. I. §127 (Laslett ed.) This Divine Institution, which Assigns it to a Person, whom we have no Rule to know, is just as good as an Assignment to no body at all.
1867 G. H. Lewes Hist. Philos. (ed. 3) II. 398 By his assignment of definite functions to definite organs.
9. Allegement, statement (of a reason).
ΘΚΠ
the world > existence and causation > causation > attribution or assignment of cause > [noun]
aetiologya1555
tell-cause1589
assignation1615
assignment1651
attributiona1665
ascribing1833
1651 Bp. J. Taylor Clerus Domini 5 An assignment..must be made of certain reasons.
1817 J. Mill Hist. Brit. India II. v. iv. 426 The assignment of these reasons.
10. A pointing out, specification.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > the quality of being specific > [noun] > quality of being specific or detailed > specific or detailed mention, enumeration, etc. > specification, pointing, or singling out
designing1585
assignment1646
1646 Sir T. Browne Pseudodoxia Epidemica 44 The Philosophical assignment of the cause. View more context for this quotation
1868 W. W. Skeat Mœso-Goth. Gloss. Pref. 4 The assignment of the passage in which they occur.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > quantity > [noun] > a definite or specified quantity or amount
quantitya1325
measurec1384
certainc1386
certainty1431
assignment1519
dosis1543
dose1607
matter1610
quantum1747
volume1812
1519 W. Horman Vulgaria iii. f. 26 All best[es] be withyn a certayne assignement of theyr quantite.
1541 T. Elyot Castel of Helthe (new ed.) 8 Increase..in quantitie or qualitie over..their natural assignement.
12. [Compare assign v. IV.] The act of signing, signature.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > indication > that which identifies or distinguishes > personal identification > signature > [noun] > signing
subscribing1444
subscriving1445
signing1450
subscription1492
signature1570
subsignation1573
assignment1598
side-scription1758
1598 in W. Greenwell Wills & Inventories Registry Durham (1860) II. 332 Upon the assignment of a generall acquittance.
13. A task assigned to one; a commission or appointment. Originally U.S.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > delegated authority > [noun] > a commission given to anyone
carkc1330
charge1393
commissionc1450
charche1534
credit1537
commandment1592
missure1615
assignmentc1848
commish1856
society > authority > punishment > imprisonment > prisoner > [noun] > allotment into unpaid servitude
assignmentc1848
c1848 Garland in W. C. Church Ulysses Grant (1897) iii. 45 Lt. Grant can best serve his country..under this assignment.
1897 Scribner's Mag. Aug. 232/2 The reporters..were waiting to be sent off on their first assignments before getting breakfast.
1898 Daily News 4 Jan. 3/1 Here a man goes out on an assignment and if the person sought does not wish to express his views, he comes back empty-handed.
1903 J. Ralph Making of Journalist 126 The first ‘assignment’ I ever had as a New York Reporter was to go to Delaware to see a woman whipped.
1910 C. E. Mulford Hopalong Cassidy xvii. 99 At first his assignment had pleased, but as hour after hour passed with growing weariness, he chafed more and more.
1949 F. Maclean Eastern Approaches iii. vi. 373 His next assignment [as an officer helping partisans] was in enemy-occupied Albania.
1964 G. L. Cohen What's Wrong with Hospitals? i. 17 The nursing profession has therefore perfected its own technique of fragmentation: ‘task assignment’. This enables one patient's needs to be split up among many nurses.
1967 Oxf. Mag. 10 Feb. 205/2 I set them [sc. Canadian students] an exercise and they bring me an assignment.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1885; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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