— n 1. an agreement under which a person borrows money to buy property, or a house, and the lender may take possession of the property if the borrower fails to repay the money 2. the deed effecting such an agreement 3. the loan obtained under such an agreement 4. a regular payment of money borrowed under such an agreement — vb 5. to pledge (a house or other property) as security for the repayment of a loan — adj 6. of or relating to a mortgage: a mortgage payment [C14: from Old French, literally: dead pledge, from mort dead + gage security, gage 1 ] Word Origin & History mortgage 1390, from O.Fr. morgage (13c.), mort gaige, lit. ”dead pledge” (replaced in modern Fr. by hypothèque ), from mort ”dead” + gage ”pledge;” so called because the deal dies either when the debt is paid or when payment fails. O.Fr. mort is from V.L. *mortus ”dead,” from L. mortuus, pp. of mori ”to die” (see mortal). The verb is first attested 1467. Legal Dictionary Main Entry: mort·gage Pronunciation: ’mor-gij Function: noun Etymology: Anglo-French, from Old French, from mort dead (from Latin mortuus ) + gage security 1 a : a conveyance of title to property that is given to secure an obligation (as a debt) and that is defeated upon payment or performance according to stipulated terms mortgage —W. M.McGovern, Junior et al. > b : [...]