acquit

acquit
\ \ [13] Acquit is ultimately related to quiet.
\ \ The Latin noun quies, from which we get quiet, was the basis of a probable verb *quietare, later *quitare, whose original meaning, ‘put to rest’, developed to ‘settle’, as in ‘settle a debt’. With the addition of the prefix ad- this passed into Old French as a(c)quiter, and thence into English (still with the ‘settling or discharging debts’ meaning). The currently most common sense, ‘declare not guilty’, did not appear until the 14th century, and the most recent meaning, ‘conduct oneself in a particular way’, developed from the notion of discharging one’s duties.
\ \ Cf.QUIET

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • acquit — [ aki ] n. m. • XIIe; de acquitter ♦ Reconnaissance écrite d un paiement. ⇒ décharge, quittance . Pour acquit : mention (avec date et signature) portée sur un document attestant un paiement. ♢ Loc. Par acquit de conscience : pour décharger… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • acquit — ac·quit /ə kwit/ vb ac·quit·ted, ac·quit·ting [Old French acquiter to pay off, absolve, acquit, from a , prefix marking causation + quite free (of an obligation)] vt: to discharge completely: as a: to release from liability for a debt or other… …   Law dictionary

  • acquit — Acquit. s. m. v. Quitance. J en ay un bon acquit. je fourniray tous les acquits bons & valables. acquit patent. On dit, Payer une chose à l acquit d un autre, pour dire, La payer à la descharge d un autre. J ay payé cela à l acquit de la… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Acquit — Ac*quit , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Acquitted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Acquitting}.] [OE. aquiten, OF. aquiter, F. acquitter; ? (L. ad) + OF. quiter, F. quitter, to quit. See {Quit}, and cf. {Acquiet}.] 1. To discharge, as a claim or debt; to clear off; to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Acquit — (fr., spr. Akki), 1) Aussatz der Kugel beim Billard; 2) Empfangschein, Quittung überhaupt, besonders auf Wechseln (sd.). Acquit a comptant (spr. Akki a congtang), sonst seit Ludwig XV. in Frankreich eigenhändige Quittungen des Königs über… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Acquit — (frz., spr. ackí), Quittung, Empfangsschein; pour a. oder par a. (pr. a.), Quittungsformel auf Rechnungen, Wechseln etc. Beim Billard ist A. (A. geben) das Aussetzen des Balles. – Acquit à caution (spr. ackitakohßĭóng), Begleitschein von… …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • acquit — [v1] announce removal of blame absolve, blink at*, clear, deliver, discharge, disculpate, exculpate, excuse, exonerate, free, let go, let off, let off the hook*, liberate, release, relieve, vindicate, whitewash*, wink at*, wipe off*; concepts… …   New thesaurus

  • acquit — ► VERB (acquitted, acquitting) 1) formally declare that (someone) is not guilty of a criminal charge. 2) (acquit oneself) behave or perform in a specified way. DERIVATIVES acquittal noun. ORIGIN Latin acquitare pay a debt …   English terms dictionary

  • Acquit — Ac*quit , p. p. Acquitted; set free; rid of. [Archaic] Shak. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Acquit — (franz., spr. ackí), Quittung, Empfangschein; pour a., soviel wie den Empfang bescheinigt, empfangen. – Beim Billard bedeutet A. das Aussetzen des Balles (s. Billard) …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Acquit — Acquit, quittirt …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

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