rent
UK[rɛnt]US[rɛnt]
n
A fixed amount of money paid regularly by a tenant to a landlord for the use of property or land.
v
To pay or receive a fixed amount of money for the use of property or land.
v
To allow someone to use something in return for payment.
Etymology
The word 'rent' entered English from Old French, carrying the sense of a regular payment or income yielded from property. Its ultimate Latin ancestor, 'reddere' (to give back, to render), conceptually links the act of payment to the idea of returning value or yield for use. Over time in English, its meaning specialized to focus on the payment made for the temporary use of land, buildings, or goods. This evolution from a general term for "income" to a specific contractual payment illustrates the word's journey through legal and economic contexts.
Analysis
This is a simplex word. It is a loanword from Old French 'rente', meaning "income, profit", which itself derived from Vulgar Latin rendita, a form of the Latin verb 'reddere' meaning "to give back, to yield".
Examples
The monthly rent for the apartment is quite high.
They decided to rent a car for their weekend trip.
He rents out the cottage to tourists during the summer.