from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Insurance \In*sur"ance\, n. [From {Insure}.]
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1. The act of insuring, or assuring, against loss or damage
by a contingent event; a contract whereby, for a
stipulated consideration, called premium, one party
undertakes to indemnify or guarantee another against loss
by certain specified risks. Cf. {Assurance}, n., 6.
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Note: The person who undertakes to pay in case of loss is
termed the insurer; the danger against which he
undertakes, the risk; the person protected, the
insured; the sum which he pays for the protection, the
premium; and the contract itself, when reduced to form,
the policy. --Johnson's Cyc.
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2. The premium paid for insuring property or life.
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3. The sum for which life or property is insured.
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4. A guaranty, security, or pledge; assurance. [Obs.]
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The most acceptable insurance of the divine
protection. --Mickle.
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5. Hence: Any means of assuring against loss; a precaution;
as, we always use our seat belts as insurance against
injury.
[PJC]
{Accident insurance}, insurance against pecuniary loss by
reason of accident to the person.
{Endowment insurance} or {Endowment assurance}, a combination
of life insurance and investment such that if the person
upon whose life a risk is taken dies before a certain
specified time the insurance becomes due at once, and if
he survives, it becomes due at the time specified. Also
called {whole life insurance}.
{Fire insurance}. See under {Fire}.
{Insurance broker}, a broker or agent who effects insurance.
{Insurance company}, a company or corporation whose business
it is to insure against loss, damage, or death.
{Insurance policy}, a certificate of insurance; the document
containing the contract made by an insurance company with
a person whose property or life is insured.
{Life insurance}. See under {Life}.
[1913 Webster]
from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Broker \Bro"ker\ (br[=o]"k[~e]r), n. [OE. brocour, from a word
akin to broken, bruken, to use, enjoy, possess, digest, fr.
AS. br[=u]can to use, enjoy; cf. Fries. broker, F.
brocanteur. See {Brook}, v. t.]
1. One who transacts business for another; an agent.
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2. (Law) An agent employed to effect bargains and contracts,
as a middleman or negotiator, between other persons, for a
compensation commonly called brokerage. He takes no
possession, as broker, of the subject matter of the
negotiation. He generally contracts in the names of those
who employ him, and not in his own. --Story.
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3. A dealer in money, notes, bills of exchange, etc.
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4. A dealer in secondhand goods. [Eng.]
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5. A pimp or procurer. [Obs.] --Shak.
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{Bill broker}, one who buys and sells notes and bills of
exchange.
{Curbstone broker} or {Street broker}, an operator in stocks
(not a member of the Stock Exchange) who executes orders
by running from office to office, or by transactions on
the street. [U.S.]
{Exchange broker}, one who buys and sells uncurrent money,
and deals in exchanges relating to money.
{Insurance broker}, one who is agent in procuring insurance
on vessels, or against fire.
{Pawn broker}. See {Pawnbroker}.
{Real estate broker}, one who buys and sells lands, and
negotiates loans, etc., upon mortgage.
{Ship broker}, one who acts as agent in buying and selling
ships, procuring freight, etc.
{Stock broker}. See {Stockbroker}.
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