Affreights

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Charters a vessel or aircraft under contract to carry cargo for a fee
2. Rents a ship, plane, or other carrier to move freight from one place to another
3. Engages a transport vehicle by agreement so that it can haul goods for payment

Etymology: "Affreights" is the third-person singular present form of "affreight," so its history is that of the verb itself. The verb "affreight" is a back-formation from "affreightment," a term for the hiring of a ship or vehicle to carry cargo. Because the noun appeared first, speakers later worked the verb out of it by dropping the ending, a common way English creates new verbs from nouns of agreement and contract. The noun traces its roots to the Old French "afreter," meaning to charter or hire a ship, built from "a-" (to) and "frete," a freight or cargo. The English form carries the same sense of arranging a vessel for a load, which is why the verb still concerns contracts with carriers rather than the goods themselves.

Synonyms: charter, hire