Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Rent?

\Rent\, n. (Polit. Econ.) (a) That portion of the produce of the earth paid to the landlord for the use of the ``original and indestructible powers of the soil;'' the excess of the return from a given piece of cultivated land over that from land of equal area at the ``margin of cultivation.'' Called also {economic, or Ricardian, rent}. Economic rent is due partly to differences of productivity, but chiefly to advantages of location; it is equivalent to ordinary or commercial rent less interest on improvements, and nearly equivalent to ground rent. (b) Loosely, a return or profit from a differential advantage for production, as in case of income or earnings due to rare natural gifts creating a natural monopoly.
\Rent\ (r?nt), v. i. To rant. [R. & Obs.] --Hudibras.
\Rent\, imp. & p. p. of {Rend}.
\Rent\, n. [From {Rend}.] 1. An opening made by rending; a break or breach made by force; a tear. See what a rent the envious Casca made. --Shak. 2. Figuratively, a schism; a rupture of harmony; a separation; as, a rent in the church. Syn: Fissure; breach; disrupture; rupture; tear; dilaceration; break; fracture.
\Rent\, v. t. To tear. See {Rend}. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
\Rent\, n. [F. rente, LL. renta, fr. L. reddita, fem. sing. or neut. pl. of redditus, p. p. of reddere to give back, pay. See {Render}.] 1. Income; revenue. See {Catel}. [Obs.] ``Catel had they enough and rent.'' --Chaucer. [Bacchus] a waster was and all his rent In wine and bordel he dispent. --Gower. So bought an annual rent or two, And liv'd, just as you see I do. --Pope. 2. Pay; reward; share; toll. [Obs.] Death, that taketh of high and low his rent. --Chaucer. 3. (Law) A certain periodical profit, whether in money, provisions, chattels, or labor, issuing out of lands and tenements in payment for the use; commonly, a certain pecuniary sum agreed upon between a tenant and his landlord, paid at fixed intervals by the lessee to the lessor, for the use of land or its appendages; as, rent for a farm, a house, a park, etc. Note: The term rent is also popularly applied to compensation for the use of certain personal chattels, as a piano, a sewing machine, etc. {Black rent}. See {Blackmail}, 3. {Forehand rent}, rent which is paid in advance; foregift. {Rent arrear}, rent in arrears; unpaid rent. --Blackstone. {Rent charge} (Law), a rent reserved on a conveyance of land in fee simple, or granted out of lands by deed; -- so called because, by a covenant or clause in the deed of conveyance, the land is charged with a distress for the payment of it. --Bouvier. {Rent roll}, a list or account of rents or income; a rental. {Rent seck} (Law), a rent reserved by deed, but without any clause of distress; barren rent. A power of distress was made incident to rent seck by Statute 4 George II. c. 28. {Rent service} (Eng. Law), rent reserved out of land held by fealty or other corporeal service; -- so called from such service being incident to it. {White rent}, a quitrent when paid in silver; -- opposed to black rent.
\Rent\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Rented}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Renting}.] [F. renter. See {Rent}, n.] 1. To grant the possession and enjoyment of, for a rent; to lease; as, the owwner of an estate or house rents it. 2. To take and hold under an agreement to pay rent; as, the tennant rents an estate of the owner.
\Rent\, v. i. To be leased, or let for rent; as, an estate rents for five hundred dollars a year.