Sinking fund

Fund Fund, n. [OF. font, fond, nom. fonz, bottom, ground, F. fond bottom, foundation, fonds fund, fr. L. fundus bottom, ground, foundation, piece of land. See {Found} to establish.] 1. An aggregation or deposit of resources from which supplies are or may be drawn for carrying on any work, or for maintaining existence. [1913 Webster]

2. A stock or capital; a sum of money appropriated as the foundation of some commercial or other operation undertaken with a view to profit; that reserve by means of which expenses and credit are supported; as, the fund of a bank, commercial house, manufacturing corporation, etc. [1913 Webster]

3. pl. The stock of a national debt; public securities; evidences (stocks or bonds) of money lent to government, for which interest is paid at prescribed intervals; -- called also {public funds}. [1913 Webster]

4. An invested sum, whose income is devoted to a specific object; as, the fund of an ecclesiastical society; a fund for the maintenance of lectures or poor students; also, money systematically collected to meet the expenses of some permanent object. [1913 Webster]

5. A store laid up, from which one may draw at pleasure; a supply; a full provision of resources; as, a fund of wisdom or good sense. [1913 Webster]

An inexhaustible fund of stories. --Macaulay. [1913 Webster]

{Sinking fund}, the aggregate of sums of money set apart and invested, usually at fixed intervals, for the extinguishment of the debt of a government, or of a corporation, by the accumulation of interest. [1913 Webster]