iou
iou — noun
- iousingular
- iousplural
1. a note someone writes and signs to confirm they have borrowed a specific amount
a note someone writes and signs to confirm they have borrowed a specific amount of money, with a commitment to repay the lender later
Elena signed an IOU for the NT$3,000 she borrowed from her roommate.
collocation: sign an IOU
Vivek kept all his IOUs in a metal box under his bed to stay organized.
The shop owner accepted an IOU from Stefan until he got his monthly pay.
Instead of asking for cash, Eric gave his brother an IOU for the concert tickets.
After selling their catch, the fishermen paid off their IOUs at the supply store.
- promissory note
a more formal legal document for borrowing money, often used in banking rather than personal loans
- marker
informal term, used mainly in US English for a promise to repay a favour or a small debt
用法筆記
Often written in capital letters as IOU. The plural form is IOUs (or I.O.U.s).