Meanings
- archaicpoeticrareuncountableUsury.
Quite considerable sums, as the sources show, went at the death of rich people to religious institutions as conscience money, at times even back to former debtors as usura which had been unjustly taken from them.
1905, Max Weber, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism2 more examples
In time past it was sors pro sorte – that is, the principal only for the principal; but now, beside that which is above the principal properly called Usura, we challenge Foenus – that is, commodity of soil and fruits of the earth, if not the ground itself.
1577, William Harrison, chapter 9, in Holinshed's ChroniclesWith usura hath no man a house of good stone each block cut smooth and well fitting that design might cover their face, with usura hath no man a painted paradise on his church wall harpes et luz or where virgin receiveth message and halo projects from incision,[…]
1937, Ezra Pound, The Cantos
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₃eyt-der.?
- Proto-Italic*oitōr
- Latinūtor
- Latinūsūra
- Englishusura
Borrowed from Latin ūsūra.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
usura. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/usura
“usura.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/usura. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “usura,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/usura.
Source: usura on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.