ESCROW Definition & Meaning

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escrow

[ noun es-kroh, ih-skroh; verb ih-skroh, es-kroh ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a contract, deed, bond, or other written agreement deposited with a third person, by whom it is to be delivered to the grantee or promisee on the fulfillment of some condition.

verb (used with object)

to place in escrow:
The home seller agrees to escrow the sum of $1000 with his attorney.

escrow

/ ɛˈskrəʊ; ˈɛskrəʊ /

noun

money, goods, or a written document, such as a contract bond, delivered to a third party and held by him pending fulfilment of some condition
the state or condition of being an escrow (esp in the phrase in escrow )

verb

to place (money, a document, etc) in escrow

escrow

The condition of being ineffective until certain conditions are met. For example, money inherited by a minor might be held in escrow until the heir reaches a certain age. Homeowners with mortgages frequently pay money for insurance and taxes on their home into an escrow account each month. The holder of the mortgage then pays the insurance and tax bills out of the escrow account when the bills are due.

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of escrow¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Anglo-French escro(u)we, from Old French escro(u)e; scroll

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of escrow¹

C16: from Old French escroe, of Germanic origin; see screed , shred , scroll

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Idioms and Phrases

in escrow, in the keeping of a third person for delivery to a given party upon the fulfillment of some condition.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The memories flooded in as I sat on my Ducati, wondering why he was here, why his restaurant, which he was selling, hadn’t yet closed escrow and why this pain still gripped me.

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She found out she was pregnant with her first child two weeks after closing escrow and they spent four years restoring and remodeling the house.

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Insurance payouts can accrue significant interest while the money sits in escrow during rebuilding, bill proponents say.

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Its new owner closed escrow on Jan. 6 — the day before the fire.

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With another $40,000 grant, the funding package was complete, and escrow closed in October.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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