noun, slang ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   In Scotland, a landlord's right over the stocking (cattle, implements, etc.), and crops of his tenant, as security for payment of rent. uncountable, usually
2. 2
   In Québec, a legal right over property used as security for an obligation, such as a mortgage. uncountable, usually
3. 3
   Everything; the whole lot. colloquial, uncountable, usually

   "...saddle and all, the whole hypothec turned round and grovelled in the dust below the donkey’s belly."

Synonyms

All synonyms

lienmortgage

Example

More examples

"...saddle and all, the whole hypothec turned round and grovelled in the dust below the donkey’s belly."

Etymology

From Latin hypothēca (“pledge, mortgage”), from Ancient Greek ὑποθήκη (hupothḗkē, “warning, pledge”).

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.