▪ I. quittance, n.
(ˈkwɪtəns)
Forms: 3 cwitaunce, 4 quitance, 5 qvyt-, qwyt-, 5–6 quet-, quyt-, 6– quittance (also 5 -awnce, 5–6 -ans, -aunce, and 7 cuttans).
[a. OF. quitance (later quittance), f. quiter to quit. Cf. med.L. quit(t)-, quietantia.]
1. The act of freeing or clearing; release; † acquittal.
In mod. examples perh. associated with sense 5.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 126 Wiðute cwitaunce, up of his prisun nis non inumen. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxii. (Laurence) 702 For quetance scho suld ga one ane heyt yrne. 1426 E. E. Wills 71 Þe costes of his qwytaunce of his enditement. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. xliii. 58 We woll..demaunde of you quytance of our bondes. 1603 Court Bk. Earl Orkney 21 June (Jam. Suppl.), Under quittance of the stowt of his nyhbor's peits. 1858 J. Robertson Poems 99 Thy work is done..Bless thy good quittance from superfluous life. 1867 Trollope Chron. Barset II. xlix. 49 They [quarrels] come very easily,..but the quittance from them is sometimes terribly difficult. |
2. A release or discharge from a debt or obligation; a document certifying such discharge; a receipt.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 156 Richard ȝald him his right, his tresore & his toun,..To mak certeyn partie, R. a quitance toke. 1464 Paston Lett. II. 162 A quetaunce of suche money as ye have receyved. c 1500 Melusine 356–7 Ye desyre of me quytaunce therof so wyl I haue quytaunce of hym that receyueth it of you. 1600 Hakluyt Voy. II. 272 Hauing paid the custome, it behoueth to haue a quittance. 1628 Wither Brit. Rememb. v. 784, I have thy Quittance, though I am thy Debtor. 1819 Scott Ivanhoe x, Gurth..folded the quittance, and put it under his cap. 1863 J. G. Murphy Comm., Gen. xxiv. 5–8 He..obtains a quittance from his oath. 1882 Ouida Maremma I. 248 We let her take our substance and never asked her a quittance. |
| fig. 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 10813 Þe fourþe sacrament ys penaunce, Þat ys for synne a quytaunce. 1595 Locrine v. iv. 188 Soon shall I..with my sword..Seal thee a quittance for thy bold attempts. 1642 Quarles Div. Poems i. 60 Deare Mercy made a Quittance for her sin. |
| Prov. 1562 J. Heywood Prov. & Epigr. (1867) 161 Suffrans is no quittans. 1600 Shakes. A.Y.L. iii. v. 133 That's all one: omittance is no quittance. |
3. Recompense or requital; repayment; reprisal.
| c 1590 Marlowe Faust. Wks. (Rtldg.) 126/1 On his head, in quittance of my wrongs, I'll nail huge forked horns. 1600 Holland Livy vii. xix. 262 This execution made quittance with them, for sacrificing the Romanes. 1637 Shirley Hyde Park i. i. B iij b, In quittance of your loving, honest Councell. 1813 Byron Corsair ii. vi, Each..sinks outwearied..His last faint quittance rendering with his breath. 1879 Butcher & Lang Odyssey 18 In quittance whereof ye now work me harm. |
| Comb. 1862 Ruskin Unto this Last 138 note, Tisiphone, the ‘requiter (or quittance-taker) of death’. |
† 4. to cry quittance, to declare oneself clear or even
with another; hence, to make full repayment or retaliation. (
Cf. quits 2 b.)
Obs.| 1579 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 292 Desirous to crye quittaunce for hir present tongue. 1622 Mabbe tr. Aleman's Guzman d'Alf. i. 234, I thought I had just cause to crie quittance with him. 1679 Dryden Troilus & C. i. ii, He was struck down yesterday in the Battle, but..he'll cry Quittance with 'em to-day. |
5. The act of quitting or leaving.
rare.
| 1892 Black & White 22 Oct. 462/2 After his quittance of the jail he resumed the editorship. |
▪ II. † ˈquittance, v. Obs. [f. prec. n. Cf. OF. quittancer (Godef.).] 1. intr. To give a discharge.
rare—1.
| 1502 Arnolde Chron. (1811) 108, I..graunte to my sayd atturnays..to take playnt and arest..and to relece and quitaunce [etc.]. |
2. trans. To give up, cancel.
= quit v. 5.
| 1592 Greene Conny catching ii. 2 b, Shall I be made a slaue because I am bound to you: no no, I can quittance my indenture when I list. |
3. To repay, requite (a person, service, injury, etc.).
| 1590 Greene Orl. Fur. Wks. (Rtldg.) 95 Hate calls me on to quittance all my ills. 1620 Swetnam Arraigned (1880) 35 Ere long, It may be in Our power to quittance him. 1624 Heywood Gunaik. i. 54 To quittance this He guerdons Midas with his golden wish. |