indenture

English

Alternative forms

• endenture (obsolete)

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman endenture, from Old French endenteure, from endenter (“to dent”). The name of the contract derives from the irregular dent-shaped cut (indentation) used to prove the authenticity of the two parts, similar to a chirograph.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈdɛn.ʃɝ/

Noun

indenture (plural indentures)

1. (law) A contract which binds a person to work for another, under specified conditions, for a specified time (often as an apprentice).
   • 1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter II, in Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC:

     And so the schoolmistress reconciled the recommendation to her conscience, and the indentures were cancelled, and the apprentice was free.

2. (law, often in the plural) A document, written as duplicates separated by indentations, specifying such a contract.
   • 1771–1790, Benjamin Franklin, “The Autobiography [Part 1]”, in John Bigelow, editor, Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. […], Philadelphia, Pa.: J[oshua] B[allinger] Lippincott & Co., published 1868, →OCLC, page 159:

     Walking the street very hungry, and not knowing what to do with himself, a crimp's bill was put into his hand, offering immediate entertainment and encouragement to such as would bind themselves to serve in America. He went directly, sign'd the indentures, was put into the ship, and came over, never writing a line to acquaint his friends what was become of him.

   • 1837 March, Boz [pseudonym; Charles Dickens], “Relates How Oliver Twist Was Very Near Getting a Place, Which Would Not Have Been a Sinecure”, in Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy’s Progress. […], volume I, London: Richard Bentley, […], published 1838, →OCLC, page 46:

     It was the critical moment of Oliver’s fate. If the inkstand had been where the old gentleman thought it was, he would have dipped his pen into it, and signed the indentures, and Oliver would have been straightway hurried off.

   • 1886, Mary E. Wilkins, The Adventures of Ann:

     For the next two years, Ann's position in the family grew to be more and more that of a daughter. If it had not been for the indentures lying serenely in that tall wooden desk, she would almost have forgotten, herself, that she was a bound girl.

3. An indentation; a recess.
   • 1819, Jedadiah Cleishbotham [pseudonym; Walter Scott], chapter X, in Tales of My Landlord, Third Series. […], volume I (The Bride of Lammermoor), Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 264:

     The narrow windows, flanked by deep indentures into the walls, seemed formed rather to exclude than to admit the cheerful light; and the heavy and gloomy appearance of the thunder-sky added still farther to the obscurity.

Translations

contract

• Danish: kontrakt (da) c
• Dutch: leercontract (nl)
• Finnish: oppisopimus
• Galician: contrato (gl) m
• German: Vertrag (de) m, Ausbildungsvertrag m, Arbeitsvertrag (de) m, Lehrbrief m, Kontrakt (de) m
• Norwegian: lærekontrakt m, lærlingekontrakt m, arbeidskontrakt m
• Russian: кабала (ru) (kabala)
• Spanish: contrato (es) m

Verb

indenture (third-person singular simple present indentures, present participle indenturing, simple past and past participle indentured)

1. (law) To bind a person under such a contract.
2. To indent; to make hollows, notches, or wrinkles in; to furrow.

   Though age may creep on, and indenture the brow.

Derived terms

• indenturer
• indenturee
• indentureship
• reindenture
• nonindentured
• indenturedness
• indentured servant
• unindentured

Related terms

• indent

Translations

bind under such a contract

See also

• bondslavery
• bondslave
• bondsman
• bondservant
• bonded labour

Anagrams

• interdune