Escrowe

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Assets held by a neutral third party until agreed conditions are satisfied ; to hand over money or property to such a neutral holder until terms are fulfilled
2. Money or property kept in the custody of a neutral party until a deal's conditions are met ; to place valuables with an impartial holder pending fulfillment of terms
3. A sum or asset lodged with an impartial custodian until contractual requirements are satisfied ; to deposit goods or funds with a neutral holder under such an arrangement

Etymology: In its older spelling, "escrowe," the word is the Anglo-French form of a term for a scroll or written document. It came from Old French "escroe," meaning a scrap or strip of parchment, which likely traces back to a Germanic word for a shred, probably related to the Old High German "scrot." The most surprising connection is with "scroll." The two words are doublets, meaning they come from the same source but reached English by different routes. "Scroll" kept the sense of a rolled document, while the legal "escrow" narrowed to a specific practice: a deed or payment held by a neutral third party and handed over only when a condition is met. That sense developed in English law, and the modern "escrow" in real estate and online transactions follows the same idea.