public funds

Fund \Fund\, n. [OF. font, fond, nom. fonz, bottom, ground, F.
   fond bottom, foundation, fonds fund, fr. L. fundus bottom,
   ground, foundation, piece of land. See {Found} to establish.]
   1. An aggregation or deposit of resources from which supplies
      are or may be drawn for carrying on any work, or for
      maintaining existence.
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   2. A stock or capital; a sum of money appropriated as the
      foundation of some commercial or other operation
      undertaken with a view to profit; that reserve by means of
      which expenses and credit are supported; as, the fund of a
      bank, commercial house, manufacturing corporation, etc.
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   3. pl. The stock of a national debt; public securities;
      evidences (stocks or bonds) of money lent to government,
      for which interest is paid at prescribed intervals; --
      called also {public funds}.
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   4. An invested sum, whose income is devoted to a specific
      object; as, the fund of an ecclesiastical society; a fund
      for the maintenance of lectures or poor students; also,
      money systematically collected to meet the expenses of
      some permanent object.
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   5. A store laid up, from which one may draw at pleasure; a
      supply; a full provision of resources; as, a fund of
      wisdom or good sense.
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            An inexhaustible fund of stories.     --Macaulay.
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   {Sinking fund}, the aggregate of sums of money set apart and
      invested, usually at fixed intervals, for the
      extinguishment of the debt of a government, or of a
      corporation, by the accumulation of interest.
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Public \Pub"lic\, a. [L. publicus, poblicus, fr. populus people:
   cf. F. public. See {People}.]
   1. Of or pertaining to the people; belonging to the people;
      relating to, or affecting, a nation, state, or community;
      -- opposed to {private}; as, the public treasury.
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            To the public good
            Private respects must yield.          --Milton.
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            He [Alexander Hamilton] touched the dead corpse of
            the public credit, and it sprung upon its feet. --D.
                                                  Webster.
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   2. Open to the knowledge or view of all; general; common;
      notorious; as, public report; public scandal.
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            Joseph, . . . not willing to make her a public
            example, was minded to put her away privily. --Matt.
                                                  i. 19.
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   3. Open to common or general use; as, a public road; a public
      house. "The public street." --Shak.
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   {public act} or {public statute} (Law), an act or statute
      affecting matters of public concern. Of such statutes the
      courts take judicial notice.

   {Public credit}. See under {Credit}.

   {Public funds}. See {Fund}, 3.

   {Public house}, an inn, or house of entertainment.

   {Public law}.
      (a) See {International law}, under {International}.
      (b) A public act or statute.

   {Public nuisance}. (Law) See under {Nuisance}.

   {Public orator}. (Eng. Universities) See {Orator}, 3.

   {Public stores}, military and naval stores, equipments, etc.
      

   {Public works}, all fixed works built by civil engineers for
      public use, as railways, docks, canals, etc.; but
      strictly, military and civil engineering works constructed
      at the public cost.
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