from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Loan \Loan\, n. [OE. lone, lane, AS. l[=a]n, l[ae]n, fr. le['i]n
to lend; akin to D. leen loan, fief, G. lehen fief, Icel.
l[=a]n, G. leihen to lend, OHG. l[imac]han, Icel. lj[imac],
Goth. leihwan, L. linquere to leave, Gr. lei`pein, Skr. ric.
[root]119. Cf. {Delinquent}, {Eclipse}, {Eleven}, {Ellipse},
{Lend}, {License}, {Relic}.]
1. The act of lending; a lending; permission to use; as, the
loan of a book, money, services.
[1913 Webster]
2. That which one lends or borrows, especially a sum of money
lent at interest; as, he repaid the loan.
[1913 Webster]
{Loan office}.
(a) An office at which loans are negotiated, or at which
the accounts of loans are kept, and the interest paid
to the lender.
(b) A pawnbroker's shop.
[1913 Webster]