Leaser

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈliːsə/

Definitions

1. An individual or organization that allows another party to utilize property or equipment for a defined term in return for rental fees
2. A person or entity that offers an asset for temporary possession while retaining ownership, receiving monetary compensation in the process
3. A party that grants access to property or equipment for an agreed period, usually in exchange for payment of a fee

Etymology: A "leaser" is simply someone who leases, so the story lies mostly in the ending. The suffix "-er" that turns "lease" into an agent noun has a long pedigree. It descends from a Proto-Germanic marker that was adopted into Old English as "-ere", the form used for people who performed an action, such as "hunter" or "baker". Along the way, Latin "-ārius", which denoted an official or person connected with a particular occupation, passed into Old French as "-ier" and then into Middle English as "-er". English thus borrowed a suffix that had been shaped twice, once by Germanic speakers and once by Roman speakers, before the two streams merged. The base word "lease" has its own separate path, coming into English from Old French "lais" in the sense of letting or releasing. The verb "lease" and the agent noun "leaser" were built on that French root within English, so "leaser" is a relatively late formation that combines a French-derived stem with a suffix that had already been fused across two languages.

Synonyms: lessor, renter, landlord, owner, provider

Antonyms: lessee, tenant, borrower, user, customer