sb. Forms: α. 4–6 vsurye, 5–6 usurye, 7 -ie, 5–7 vsury, -ie, 6 -ee, 5– usury. β. 4–5 vsery(e, 4, 6 vserie, 6–7 usery. [a. AF. *usurie, ad. med.L. ūsūria, f. L. ūs-us, pa. pple. of ūtī to use. Cf. USURE sb.]
1. The fact or practice of lending money at interest; esp. in later use, the practice of charging, taking, or contracting to receive, excessive or illegal rates of interest for money on loan.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 2417. To whom þat vsery ys lefe, Gostely he ys a þefe.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. II. 175. Lat sadel hem with siluer owre synne to suffre, As auoutrie … and derne vsurye.
c. 1445. Pecock, Donet, 63. Siþen in vseri þe leener … compelliþ þe borewer to … paie a summe of his owne good bisidis þe summe borewid.
1487. Act 3 Hen. VI., c. 6. That all unlefull Chevysaunces and Usurye be dampned, and none to be used, upon payne [etc.].
1514. Barclay, Cyt. & Uplondyshman (Percy Soc.), 23. Some lyve by rapyne,… and some in usury.
1595. Mosse (title), Arraignment and Conviction of Vsurie. That is, the Iniquitie, and Vnlawfulnes of Vsurie, displayed in sixe Sermons.
1643. Milton, Divorce, 33. The Christian Magistrate permits usury.
1663. in Verney Mem. (1907), II. 195. I hate this rack-renting; ’tis worse than usury.
1711. Steele, Spect., No. 114, ¶ 1. His Estate is dipped, and is eating out with Usury.
1754. Erskine, Princ. Sc. Law (1809), 520. The crime of usury, before the Reformation, consisted in the taking of any interest for the use of money; and now in taking an higher rate of interest than is authorised by law.
1787. Bentham, Def. Usury, ii. 7. I know of but two definitions that can possibly be given of usury: one is, the taking of a greater interest than the law allows of…. The other is the taking of a greater interest than it is usual for men to give and take.
1801. Farmer’s Mag., Aug., 338. The criminality of usury … [consists] in exacting more than the usual rate of the market.
1858. Ld. St. Leonards, Handy-bk. Prop. Law, xiv. 87. The statutes against usury … are repealed, so that you may take for your money whatever amount of interest you can get.
Personif. c. 1420. Lydg., Assembly of Gods, 644. Pety capteyns…, As … Vsury, Periury, Ly, and Adulacion. Ibid. (c. 1430), Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 172. Usurye lyethe fetrede in dystresse.
1606. Dekker, Sev. Sins, II. (Arb.), 22. Thou doest likewise Lye with Vsury.
1615. Brathwait, Strappado (1878), 28. O vsurie…, how much haue we Occasion to proscribe thee from our land.
attrib. 1813. (title) A Treatise on the Usury Laws with Disquisitions on the Arguments adduced against them by Bentham.
2. Premium or interest on money (or goods) given or received on loan; † gain made by lending money. Now arch.
c. 1440. Alph. Tales, 472. Þer was ane vsurar þat wolde neuer restore his vsurie agayn.
1555. Eden, Decades (Arb.), 365. With increase of dowble vsurie.
1567. Termes Laws (1579), 184/1. Vsurie is a gayne of any thing aboue the principal, or that which was lent, exacted onely in consideration of the loane, whether it be of corne, meat,… or such like, as money.
1600. Holland, Livy, 262. Albeit the Vsurie was well eased by bringing it downe from twelve to one.
1621. Culpepper, Tract agst. Usury, 8. For Vsury going at ten in the hundred, if a man borrow fiue pounds [etc.].
1699. Child, Disc. Trade, 209. The rate of Usury is the measure by which all men Trade,… or any other ways bargain.
1729. Franklin, Ess., Wks. 1840, II. 273. This may bring down the common usury to the pitch it is determined at by law.
1746. P. Francis, trans. Horace, Sat., I. ii. 14, note. The Laws allowed an Usury … which doubled the capital Sum in an hundred Months.
b. fig. and in fig. context. Freq. with usury.
1549. Coverdale, etc., Erasm. Par. 1 Pet. 2. That you may waxe riche in the encreasing vsury of good workes, more and more.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. viii. 27. Behold what ye this day haue done for mee, And what I cannot quite, requite with vsuree. Ibid. (1595), Col. Clout, 39. Of good passed newly to discus, By dubble vsurie doth twise renew it.
1606. B. Jonson, Hymenæi, C 4. Haste, therefore,… and call, Away: The gentle Night is prest to pay The vsurie of long delights, She owes to these protracted rites.
1661. Rust, Origen’s Opin., 66. What is it then … which they may not have with usury and advantage in a body of purer Consistence?
1695. Pepys, in Academy, 9 Aug. (1890), 111/1. I repay you with usury yor kinde Wishes.
1732. Lediard, Sethos, II. ix. 342. The motive of taking Siga has been accomplish’d with usury.
1750. Johnson, Rambler, No. 48, ¶ 10. [He] must not only pay back the hours but pay them back with usury.
1790. Burke, Fr. Rev., 117. Learning paid back what it received … with usury.
1813. Shelley, Q. Mab, IV. 209. They have three words:—well tyrants know their use, Well pay them for the loan, with usury.
1842. Tennyson, Talking Oak, 196. I would have paid her kiss for kiss, With usury thereto.
c. In the phrases at, to, on, upon usury.
13[?]. Prose Psalter xiv. 6. (Dublin Ms.). He þat ȝaf mony to vsurye ne toke noȝt ȝiftes vp on innocentes.
1535. Coverdale, Deut. xxiii. 20. Vnto a straunger thou maiest lende vpon vsury.
1579. G. Harvey, Letter-bk. (Camden), 62. Lett me borrow them both upon tolerable usurye.
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 283. That it might not be lawfull for those to borrow upon usurie.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., I. viii. 35. Taking mony at usurie, for the present payment of interest.
1702. Eng. Theophrastus, 332. ’Tis lending on Usury, under the pretence of giving freely.
1844. trans. M. T. Asmar’s Mem. Babylonian Princess, II. 105. If I put it [sc. corn] at usury, shall not my bones howl from my grave.
1888. Encycl. Brit., XXIV. 17. The man who does not … lend his capital upon ‘usury’ is … lacking in his duty to himself or his family.
† 3. pl. Instances or kinds of usury. Obs.
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 284. Their rootes of debts … bring foorth infinite troubles and intolerable usuries.
1603. Shaks., Meas. for M., III. ii. 7. Since of two vsuries the merriest was put downe, and the worser allow’d by order of Law. Ibid. (1611), Cymb., III. iii. 45. Did you but know the Citties Vsuries, And felt them knowingly.
† 4. transf. Increase, augmentation; advantage.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 352. Howe bountifull a seruitour is the earthe, to the husbandeman? what vsurie doeth it pay for that which it borroweth?
1599. T. M[oufet], Silkwormes, 71. Diuine we hence, or rather reckon right, What vsury and proffit doth arise, By keeping well these … creatures white.
1613. Heywood, Silver Age, III. G 3. With full sickles You shall receiue the vsury of their seeds. Ibid. (1624), Gunaik., 31. The profitable usurie arising from agriculture.
† 5. The use or employment of anything. rare.
1607. Tourneur, Rev. Trag., IV. ii. To prostitute my brest to the Dukes sonne: And put my selfe to common vsury.
1625. Gill, Sacr. Philos., II. 127. That thou mightest inioy the usury of this aire but for the time.
Hence † Usury v. trans., to give out (favors), with a view to advantageous return. Obs.
1654. R. Whitlock, Ζωοτομια, 368. We usury out, not bestow our Favours, each Curtesie being a Designe not so much of doing, as receiving good, with unconscionable Advantage.
