▪ I. arbitrage, n.
(ˈɑːbɪtrɪdʒ)
[a. F. arbitrage, f. arbitrer: see arbitre v. and -age.]
1. Exercise of the functions of an arbitrator; decision by arbitration; the process of arbitration. arch.
| 1480 Caxton Ovid's Met. xi. ii, Parys sayd, I shall thynke and trewly determyne this arbytrage. 1682 Luttrell Brief Rel. I. 172 He will referr the differences between him and the King of Spain to the arbitrage of the King of England. 1839 James Louis XIV, III. 364 Commissioners acting under the arbitrage of the Queen of Spain. |
2. Exercise of individual judgement, authoritative decision or determination. arch.
| 1601 W. Fulbecke 1st Pt. Parallel 39 Respite must bee giuen by the arbitrage of the Iudge. 1691 T. H[ale] New Invent. 92 Not by the arbitrage of private Patentees..but by the Public Conservators. 1818 Bentham Ch. Eng. 212 According to the arbitrage of the same ever excellent Judge. |
3. Comm. The traffic in Bills of Exchange drawn on sundry places, and bought or sold in sight of the daily quotations of rates in the several markets, each operation being based in theory on the calculation known as arbitration of Exchange, q.v. Also, the similar traffic in Stocks, so as to take advantage of the difference of price at which the same stock may be quoted at the same time in the exchange markets of distant places. [In this sense adopted from mod.F., and usually pronounced (ˈɑːbitrɑːʒ).]
| 1875 Encycl. Brit. II. 311/2 The great Government loans are..the natural subject-matter of arbitrage. 1881 Daily News 27 Apr. 6 Foreign arbitrage brokers. 1882 Pall Mall G. 24 June 1 He cannot..tell what the outcome of the unfathomable arbitrage business will be. |
▪ II. arbitrage, v.
(ˈɑːbɪtrɑːʒ)
[f. the n.]
intr. To engage in arbitrage (see arbitrage 3). Hence ˈarbitraging vbl. n.
| 1900 S. A. Nelson ABC of Wall Street 126 Arbitraging, trading in two markets in order to profit by the difference in prices. 1923 J. M. Keynes Tract on Monetary Reform iii. 129 The surcharge representing the profit of a bank for arbitraging between spot and forward transactions may much exceed the moderate figure indicated above. 1953 Economist 16 May 461/1 Possible for authorized banks in these countries to arbitrage between the six currencies concerned. |