receipt

noun

re·ceipt | \ ri-ˈsēt

Definition of receipt

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : a writing acknowledging the receiving of goods or money

b receipts, plural, informal : proof : evidence … he is on the hook right now for some pretty major charges that Mueller has the receipts for …— Asha Rangappa However, it was just a few weeks earlier that the reality star was crushing on another lovely lady … and we've got the receipts to prove it! HollywoodLife has text messages between the two …— Sarah Jones

2 : the act or process of receiving

3 : something received —usually used in plural

4 : recipe

5a obsolete : receptacle

b archaic : a revenue office

receipt

verb

receipted; receipting; receipts

Definition of receipt (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to give a receipt for or acknowledge the receipt of

2 : to mark as paid

The History of Receipt and Recipe Example Sentences Learn More about receipt

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The History of Receipt and Recipe

These days it may seem odd to speak of "grandma's cookie receipt," but at one time the only meaning of receipt was "recipe." The first recorded use of receipt is a reference to a medicinal preparation in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (c. 1386). Recipe didn't arrive until the 1500s, and it was also first used to describe medicine. Both words began to be applied to cooking only in the 18th century, after which recipe slowly became the preferred word. Receipt acquired its currently more familiar sense of "a written statement saying that money or goods have been received" in the 17th century. Both receipt and recipe are thought to be ultimately derived from Latin recipere ("to receive"), making them probable relatives as well as synonyms.

Examples of receipt in a Sentence

Noun

Keep your receipt in case you need to return anything. The form should be completed and returned within 30 days of receipt. Open immediately upon receipt of the package. Our company deposits cash receipts every day.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The attorney had swiped Ms. Smith’s credit card through a Square device, and the payments company automatically generated the receipt that wound up in her friend’s inbox. ... — Peter Rudegeair, WSJ, "Square Sends Millions of Digital Receipts, Sometimes to the Wrong Person," 4 June 2019 The receipts did not identify who ordered which meals. — Steven Goode, Courant Community, "Town Council Members Ordered Pricey Dinners — Including $49 Burger — During Budget Talks," 24 May 2018 Ballot-marking devices have an electronic touch screen where voters make choices and then print a paper receipt that is read by a scanner. — Ben Nadler, The Seattle Times, "Georgia official seeks to replace criticized voting machines," 23 Jan. 2019 The history of the signature as a means of validating a contract, though — and what is a receipt but a miniature contract? — Rachel Sugar, Vox, "Why are we still signing credit card receipts?," 5 Dec. 2018 And when donating to charities, don’t forget to get a receipt to claim a tax deduction. — Jenny Xie, Curbed, "Where to donate furniture and household items," 8 Nov. 2018 The agents never returned the iPhone 6S Plus, which was running iOS 9.2.1 (13d15), and gave her a receipt instead. — Cyrus Farivar, Ars Technica, "Woman: My iPhone was seized at border, then imaged—feds must now delete data," 23 Aug. 2018 The college’s counter claim includes many of the Tribune’s findings, including a receipt for a holiday dinner Breuder hosted for trustees in December 2013. — Stacy St. Clair, chicagotribune.com, "College of DuPage sues former president for $25 million," 2 July 2018 Richhart said police found road atlases, plastic laminating sheets and a receipt for fishing line but no other fishing gear in the home. — Vic Ryckaert, Indianapolis Star, "Police say they know the identity of thief who uses bill on a string to rip off car washes," 24 Apr. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Last year, Beijing wanted to lure Chinese tech companies to list in the mainland by issuing Chinese depository receipts dubbed CDR, akin to the ADRs and GDRs used to facilitate global companies in New York and London. — Jacky Wong, WSJ, "Irrational Exuberance Endangers China’s Nasdaq," 3 Apr. 2019 Fred Trump then used the padded All County receipts to justify bigger rent increases for thousands of tenants. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "Seriously, we need to see Donald Trump’s tax returns," 3 Oct. 2018 Fred Trump then used the padded All County receipts to justify bigger rent increases for thousands of tenants. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "Seriously, we need to see Donald Trump’s tax returns," 3 Oct. 2018 Fred Trump then used the padded All County receipts to justify bigger rent increases for thousands of tenants. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "Seriously, we need to see Donald Trump’s tax returns," 3 Oct. 2018 Fred Trump then used the padded All County receipts to justify bigger rent increases for thousands of tenants. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "Seriously, we need to see Donald Trump’s tax returns," 3 Oct. 2018 Fred Trump then used the padded All County receipts to justify bigger rent increases for thousands of tenants. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "Seriously, we need to see Donald Trump’s tax returns," 3 Oct. 2018 Fred Trump then used the padded All County receipts to justify bigger rent increases for thousands of tenants. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "Seriously, we need to see Donald Trump’s tax returns," 3 Oct. 2018 Fred Trump then used the padded All County receipts to justify bigger rent increases for thousands of tenants. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "Seriously, we need to see Donald Trump’s tax returns," 3 Oct. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'receipt.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.