Forms: 3 cwitaunce, 4 quitance, 5 qvyt-, qwyt-, 5–6 quet-, quyt-, 6– quittance (also 5 -awnce, 5–6 -ans, -aunce, and 7 cuttans). [a. OF. quitance (later quittance), f. quiter to QUIT. Cf. med.L. quit(t)-, quietantia.]
1. The act of freeing or clearing; release; † acquittal.
In mod. examples perh. associated with sense 5.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 126. Wiðute cwitaunce, up of his prisun nis non inumen.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxii. (Laurence), 702. For quetance scho suld ga one ane heyt yrne.
1426. E. E. Wills, 71. Þe costes of his qwytaunce of his enditement.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. xliii. 58. We woll … demaunde of you quytance of our bondes.
1603. Court Bk. Earl Orkney, 21 June (Jam. Suppl.). Under quittance of the stowt of his nyhbor’s peits.
1858. J. Robertson, Poems, 99. Thy work is done … Bless thy good quittance from superfluous life.
1867. Trollope, Chron. Barset, II. xlix. 49. They come very easily, these quarrels, but the quittance from them is sometimes terribly difficult.
2. A release or discharge from a debt or obligation; a document certifying such discharge; a receipt.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 156. Richard ȝald him his right, his tresore & his toun,… To mak certeyn partie, R. a quitance toke.
1464. Paston Lett., II. 162. A quetaunce of suche money as ye have receyved.
c. 1500. Melusine, 356–7. Ye desyre of me quytaunce therof so wyl I haue quytaunce of hym that receyueth it of you.
1600. Hakluyt, Voy., II. 272. Hauing paid the custome, it behoueth to haue a quittance.
1628. Wither, Brit. Rememb., V. 784. I have thy Quittance, though I am thy Debtor.
1819. Scott, Ivanhoe, x. Gurth … folded the quittance, and put it under his cap.
1863. J. G. Murphy, Comm., Gen. xxiv. 5–8. He … obtains a quittance from his oath.
1882. ‘Ouida,’ Maremma, I. 248. We let her take our substance and never asked her a quittance.
fig. 1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 10813. Þe fourþe sacrament ys penaunce, Þat ys for synne a quytaunce.
1595. Locrine, V. iv. 188. Soon shall I … with my sword … Seal thee a quittance for thy bold attempts.
1642. Quarles, Div. Poems, I. 60. Deare Mercy made a Quittance for her sin.
Prov. 1562. J. Heywood, Prov. & Epigr. (1867), 161. Suffrans is no quittans.
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., III. v. 133. That’s all one: omittance is no quittance.
3. Recompense or requital; repayment; reprisal.
c. 1590. Marlowe, Faust., Wks. (Rtldg.), 126/1. On his head, in quittance of my wrongs, I’ll nail huge forked horns.
1600. Holland, Livy, VII. xix. 262. This execution made quittance with them, for sacrificing the Romanes.
1637. Shirley, Hyde Park, I. i. B iij b. In quittance of your loving, honest Councell.
1813. Byron, Corsair, II. vi. Each … sinks outwearied … His last faint quittance rendering with his breath.
1879. Butcher & Lang, Odyssey, 18. In quittance whereof ye now work me harm.
Comb. 1862. Ruskin, Unto this Last, 138, note. Tisiphone, the ‘requiter (or quittance-taker) of death.’
† 4. To cry quittance, to declare oneself clear or even with another; hence, to make full repayment or retaliation. (Cf. QUITS 2 b.) Obs.
1579. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 292. Desirous to crye quittaunce for hir present tongue.
1622. Mabbe, trans. Aleman’s Guzman d’Alf., I. 234. I thought I had just cause to crie quittance with him.
1679. Dryden, Troilus & C., I. ii. He was struck down yesterday in the Battle, but … he’ll cry Quittance with ’em to-day.
5. The act of quitting or leaving. rare.
1892. Black & White, 22 Oct., 462/2. After his quittance of the jail he resumed the editorship.
