[syn: matter to, interest]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Interest \In"ter*est\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Interested; p. pr.
& vb. n. Interesting.] [From interess'd, p. p. of the older
form interess, fr. F. int['e]resser, L. interesse. See
Interest, n.]
[1913 Webster]
1. To engage the attention of; to awaken interest in; to
excite emotion or passion in, in behalf of a person or
thing; as, the subject did not interest him; to interest
one in charitable work.
[1913 Webster]
To love our native country . . . to be interested in
its concerns is natural to all men. --Dryden.
[1913 Webster]
A goddess who used to interest herself in marriages.
--Addison.
[1913 Webster]
2. To be concerned with or engaged in; to affect; to concern;
to excite; -- often used impersonally. [Obs.]
[1913 Webster]
Or rather, gracious sir,
Create me to this glory, since my cause
Doth interest this fair quarrel. --Ford.
[1913 Webster]
3. To cause or permit to share. [Obs.]
[1913 Webster]
The mystical communion of all faithful men is such
as maketh every one to be interested in those
precious blessings which any one of them receiveth
at God's hands. --Hooker.
Syn: To concern; excite; attract; entertain; engage; occupy;
hold.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Interest \In"ter*est\, n. [OF. interest, F. int['e]r[^e]t, fr.
L. interest it interests, is of interest, fr. interesse to be
between, to be difference, to be importance; inter between +
esse to be; cf. LL. interesse usury. See Essence.]
[1913 Webster]
1. Excitement of feeling, whether pleasant or painful,
accompanying special attention to some object; concern; a
desire to learn more about a topic or engage often in an
activity.
[1913 Webster +PJC]
Note: Interest expresses mental excitement of various kinds
and degrees. It may be intellectual, or sympathetic and
emotional, or merely personal; as, an interest in
philosophical research; an interest in human suffering;
the interest which an avaricious man takes in money
getting.
[1913 Webster]
So much interest have I in thy sorrow. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Finance, Commerce) Participation in advantage, profit,
and responsibility; share; portion; part; as, an interest
in a brewery; he has parted with his interest in the
stocks.
[1913 Webster]
3. Advantage, personal or general; good, regarded as a
selfish benefit; profit; benefit.
[1913 Webster]
Divisions hinder the common interest and public
good. --Sir W.
Temple.
[1913 Webster]
When interest calls of all her sneaking train.
--Pope.
[1913 Webster]
4. (Finance) A fee paid for the use of money; a fee paid for
a loan; -- usually reckoned as a percentage; as, interest
at five per cent per annum on ten thousand dollars.
[1913 Webster]
They have told their money, and let out
Their coin upon large interest. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
5. Any excess of advantage over and above an exact equivalent
for what is given or rendered.
[1913 Webster]
You shall have your desires with interest. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
6. The persons interested in any particular business or
measure, taken collectively; as, the iron interest; the
cotton interest.
[1913 Webster]
Compound interest, interest, not only on the original
principal, but also on unpaid interest from the time it
fell due.
Simple interest, interest on the principal sum without
interest on overdue interest.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
interest
n 1: a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or
something; "an interest in music" [syn: interest,
involvement]
2: a reason for wanting something done; "for your sake"; "died
for the sake of his country"; "in the interest of safety";
"in the common interest" [syn: sake, interest]
3: the power of attracting or holding one's attention (because
it is unusual or exciting etc.); "they said nothing of great
interest"; "primary colors can add interest to a room" [syn:
interest, interestingness] [ant: uninterestingness]
4: a fixed charge for borrowing money; usually a percentage of
the amount borrowed; "how much interest do you pay on your
mortgage?"
5: (law) a right or legal share of something; a financial
involvement with something; "they have interests all over the
world"; "a stake in the company's future" [syn: interest,
stake]
6: (usually plural) a social group whose members control some
field of activity and who have common aims; "the iron
interests stepped up production" [syn: interest, interest
group]
7: a diversion that occupies one's time and thoughts (usually
pleasantly); "sailing is her favorite pastime"; "his main
pastime is gambling"; "he counts reading among his
interests"; "they criticized the boy for his limited
pursuits" [syn: pastime, interest, pursuit]
v 1: excite the curiosity of; engage the interest of [ant:
bore, tire]
2: be on the mind of; "I worry about the second Germanic
consonant shift" [syn: concern, interest, occupy,
worry]
3: be of importance or consequence; "This matters to me!" [syn:
matter to, interest]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
533 Moby Thesaurus words for "interest":
absolute interest, absorb, absorption, accent, accrued dividends,
accumulated dividends, acquisitiveness, activities, activity,
advantage, advocacy, aegis, affair, affairs, affect,
affect the interest, agacerie, allotment, allowance, allure,
allurement, amusement, animate, answer to, appeal, appertain to,
applicability, application, apply to, appositeness, appurtenance,
arouse, attention, attentiveness, attract, attraction,
attractiveness, auspices, authority, autism, avail, avocation, aye,
backing, bag, bait, bank rate, be attractive, bear on, bear upon,
bearing, beckon, beguilement, beguiling, behalf, behoof, belong to,
benefit, benison, bewitchery, bewitchment, bias, big end,
bigger half, birthright, bit, bite, blandishment, blessing, boon,
breakaway group, bribe, bring, budget, business, cajolery, camp,
campaign, capital gains, captivate, captivation, capture, care,
careerism, carrot, carry, cash dividend, catch, catch up in,
cathexis, caucus, cause, championship, charisma, charity, charm,
charmingness, chunk, claim, cleanup, clear profit, come-hither,
commerce, commission, commitment, common, compensatory interest,
compound interest, con, concern, concernment, conjugal right,
connect, connection, consequence, consequentiality, consideration,
contingent, contingent interest, convenience, correspond to,
countenance, crusade, cumulative dividend, curiosity, curious mind,
curiousness, cut, deal, deal with, decide, demand, destiny,
determine, discount rate, discrimination, dispose, diversion,
dividend, dividends, divine right, division, doing, dole, drag,
draw, draw in, drive, droit, due, earnings, easement, ego trip,
egotism, embarrass, emphasis, employ, employment, enchantment,
encouragement, end, engage, engagement, engross, engrossment,
enlist, enmesh, entangle, enterprise, entertainment, enthrallment,
enthusiasm, enticement, entrapment, equal share,
equitable interest, equity, estate, ethnic group, excellence,
excite, excite interest, excitement, exorbitant interest,
extra dividend, faction, faculty, faith, fascinate, fascination,
fate, favor, favoritism, fetch, fillip, filthy lucre, fire,
flirtation, forbidden fruit, fosterage, function, gain, gains,
germaneness, get, get to do, gettings, ghoulishness, glamour,
gleanings, good, goodwill, graspingness, great cause, greed, gross,
gross interest, gross profit, guidance, half, halver,
have connection with, helping, high order, high rank, hoard, hobby,
hold, holding, implicate, import, importance, inalienable right,
incentive, incite, incitement, inclination, incline, income,
individualism, induce, inducement, inequality, infect, influence,
inquiring mind, inquisitiveness, inside track, interest group,
interest in, interest rate, interestedness, interests,
interim dividend, intrigue, inveiglement, investment, invitation,
invite, involve, involve in, involvement, issue,
itch for knowledge, job, killing, kindle, labor, lead, leaning,
liaise with, lifework, limitation, link with, lively interest,
lookout, lot, lucrative interest, lucre, lure, magnetism, makings,
mark, mass movement, materiality, matter, matter of interest,
measure, meddlesomeness, meed, melon, mental acquisitiveness,
merit, mess, minority group, modicum, moiety, moment,
morbid curiosity, mortgage points, move, movement, narcissism,
natural right, nay, neat profit, nepotism, net, net interest,
net profit, no, nosiness, note, notice, occupation, officiousness,
offshoot, one-sidedness, optional dividend, paper profits,
paramountcy, part, parti pris, partiality, participation,
partisanism, partisanship, party, passion, pastime, patronage,
payment, pelf, penal interest, percentage, perk, perks, perquisite,
personal aims, personal ambition, personal desires, personalism,
persuade, persuasive, pertain to, pertinence, phony dividend,
pickings, piece, pique, plaque, plum, point, political party,
portion, possessiveness, power, precedence, preeminence,
preference, preferential treatment, premium, prerogative,
prescription, pressure group, presumptive right, pretense,
pretension, prevail upon, price, price of money, primacy,
principle, priority, privatism, pro, proceeding, proceeds, procure,
profit, profits, prompt, proper claim, property, property right,
proportion, prosperity, provocation, provoke, prurience,
prurient interest, prying, pull, pursuit, quantum, quicken, quota,
rake-off, rate, rate of interest, ration, reason for being,
receipts, refer to, reference, regard, regular dividend, relate to,
relatedness, relaxation, relevance, remoteness, respect, return,
returns, reward, right, right of entry, scopophilia, scrutiny,
seconding, sect, seducement, seduction, seductiveness, segment,
self-absorption, self-admiration, self-advancement,
self-centeredness, self-consideration, self-containment,
self-devotion, self-esteem, self-importance, self-indulgence,
self-interest, self-interestedness, self-jealousy, self-occupation,
self-pleasing, self-seeking, self-serving, self-solicitude,
self-sufficiency, selfishness, selfism, service, settlement,
sex appeal, share, side, significance, silent majority,
simple interest, slice, small share, snare, snaring,
special dividend, special favor, special interest, splinter,
splinter group, sponsorship, stake, stimulate, stimulation,
stimulative, stimulus, stock, stock dividend, store, stress,
strict settlement, suck into, suction, summon, superiority,
supremacy, sway, sweetener, sweetening, sympathy, take, take-in,
talk into, tangle, tantalization, tantalize, tease, tempt,
temptation, the affirmative, the negative, thing,
thirst for knowledge, tickle, tie in with, titillate, title, touch,
touch upon, transaction, treat of, trust, tutelage, undertaking,
undetachment, undispassionateness, unneutrality, use, usury, value,
vested interest, vested right, vocal minority, voyeurism, wealth,
weight, welfare, well-being, whet, whet the appetite, wing,
winning ways, winnings, winsomeness, witchery, wooing, work,
world of good, worth
Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):
INTEREST, estates. The right which a man has in a chattel real, and more
particularly in a future term. It is a word of less efficacy and extent than
estates, though, in legal understanding, an interest extends to estates,
rights and titles which a man has in or out of lands, so that by a grant of
his whole interest in land, a reversion as well as the fee simple shall
pass. Co. Litt. 345.
Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):
INTEREST, contracts. The right of property which a man has in a thing,
commonly called insurable interest. It is not easy to give all accurate
definition of insurable interest. 1 Burr. 480; 1 Pet. R. 163; 12 Wend. 507
16 Wend. 385; 16 Pick. 397; 13 Mass. 61, 96; 3 Day, 108; 1 Wash. C. C. Rep.
409.
2. The policy of commerce and the various complicated. rights which
different persons may have in the same thing, require that not only those
who have an absolute property in ships and goods, but those also who have a
qualified property therein, may be at liberty to insure them. For example,
when a ship is mortgaged, after, the mortgage becomes absolute, the owner of
the legal estate has an insurable interest, and the mortgagor, on account of
his equity, has also an insurable interest. 2 T. R. 188 1 Burr. 489; 13
Mass. 96; 10 Pick. 40 and see 1 T. R. 745; Marsh. Ins. h. t.; 6 Meeson &
Welshy, 224.
3. A man may not only insure his own life for the benefit of his heirs
or creditors, and assign the benefit of this insurance to others having thus
or otherwise an interest in his life, but be may insure the life of another
in which he may be interested. Marsh. Ins. Index, h. t.; Park, Ins. Index,
h. t.; 1 Bell's Com. 629, 5th ed.; 9 East, R. 72. Vide Insurance.
Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):
INTEREST, evidence. The benefit which a person has in the matter about to be
decided and which is in issue between the parties. By the term benefit is
here understood some pecuniary or other advantage, which if obtained, would
increase the, witness estate, or some loss, which would decrease it.
2. It is a general rule that a party who has an interest in the cause
cannot be a witness. It will be proper to consider this matter by taking a
brief view of the thing or subject in dispute, which is the object of the
interest; the quantity of interest; the quality of interest; when an
interested witness can be examined; when the interest must exist; how an
interested witness can be rendered competent.
3.-1. To be disqualified on the ground of interest, the witness must
gain or lose by the event of the cause, or the verdict must be lawful
evidence for or against him in another suit, or the record must be an
instrument of evidence for or against him. 3 John. Cas. 83; 1 Phil. Ev. 36;
Stark. Ev. pt. 4, p. 744. But an interest in the question does not
disqualify the witness. 1 Caines, 171; 4 John. 302; 5 John. 255; 1 Serg. &
R. 82, 36; 6 Binn. 266; 1 H. & M. 165, 168.
4.-2. The magnitude of the interest is altogether immaterial, even a
liability for the most trifling costs will be sufficient. 5 T. R. 174; 2
Vern. 317; 2 Greenl. 194; 11 John. 57.
5.-3. With regard to the quality, the interest must be legal, as
contradistinguished from mere prejudice or bias, arising from relationship,
friendship, or any of the numerous motives by which a witness may be
supposed to be influenced. Leach, 154; 2 St. Tr. 334, 891; 2 Hawk. ch. 46,
s. 25. It must be a present, certain, vested interest, and not uncertain and
contingent. Dougl. 134; 2 P. Wms. 287; 3 S. & R. 132; 4 Binn. 83; 2 Yeates,
200; 5 John. 256; 7 Mass. 25. And it must have been acquired without fraud.
3 Camp. 380; l M. & S. 9; 1 T. R. 37.
6.-4. To the general rule that interest renders a witness
incompetent, there are some exceptions. First. Although the witness may have
an interest, yet if his interest is equally strong on the other side, and no
more, the witness is reduced to a state of neutrality by an equipoise of
interest, and the objection to his testimony ceases. 7 T. R. 480, 481, n.; 1
Bibb, R. 298; 2 Mass. R. 108; 2 S. & R. 119; 6 Penn. St. Rep. 322.
7. Secondly. In some instances the law admits the testimony of one
interested, from the extreme necessity of the case; upon this ground the
servant of a tradesman is admitted to prove the delivery of goods and the
payment of money, without any release from the master. 4 T. R. 490; 2 Litt.
R. 27.
8.-5. The interest, to render the witness disqualified, must exist at
the time of his examination. A deposition made at a time when the witness
had no interest, may be read in evidence, although he has afterwards
acquired an interest. 1 Hoff. R. 21.
9.-6. The objection to incompetency on the ground of interest may be
removed by an extinguishment of that interest by means of a release,
executed either by the witness, when he would receive an advantage by his
testimony, or by those who have a claim upon him when his testimony would be
evidence of his liability. The objection may also be removed by payment.
Stark. Ev. pt. 4, p. 757. See Benth. Rationale of Jud. Ev. 628-692, where he
combats the established doctrines of the law, as to the exclusion on the
ground of interest; and Balance.
Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):
INTEREST, MARITIME. By maritime interest is understood the profit of money
lent on bottomry or respondentia, which is allowed to be greater than simple
interest because the capital of the lender is put in jeopardy. There is no
limit by law as to the amount which may be charged for maritime interest. It
is fixed generally by the agreement of the parties.
2. The French writers employ a variety of terms in order to distinguish
if according to the nature of the case. They call it interest, when it is
stipulated to be paid by the month, or at other stated periods. It is a
premium, when a gross sum is to be paid at the end of the voyage, and here
the risk is the principal object they have in view. When the sum is a per
centage on the money lent, they call it exchange, considering it in the
light of money lent at one place to be returned in another, with a
difference in amount between the sum borrowed and that which is paid,
arising from the difference of time and place. When they intend to combine
these various shades into one general denomination, they make use of the
term maritime profit, to convey their meaning. Hall on Mar. Loans, 56, n.