IOU

n.
A promise to pay a debt, especially a signed paper stating the specific amount owed and often bearing the letters IOU.

[From the pronunciation of .]

An abbreviation of the phrase "I owe you."

Investopedia Says:
An IOU in the business community is actually a legally binding agreement between a borrower and a lender. The terms of the loan are set out in a contract, and, once it's signed, the two parties must abide by the terms of the contract or face legal repercussions. For example, when a corporation issues bonds, it is in essence issuing an IOU to bondholders. The IOU or bond contract sets out the terms, including the principal that will be owed, the interest that will be paid, and the time at which these payments will occur.

Related Links:
Investing in bonds - What are they, and do they belong in your portfolio? Bond Basics Tutorial
Learn the complex concepts and calculations for trading bonds including bond pricing, yield, term structure of interest rates and duration. Advanced Bond Concepts
Corporate bonds offer higher yields, but it's important to evaluate the extra risk involved before you buy. Corporate Bonds: An Introduction To Credit Risk

A signed document that recognizes a debt and agrees on payment, often in the form ‘IOU (phonetic abbreviation of ‘I owe you') $x.'

Abbreviation for “I owe you.” An IOU is a written statement of a borrower's obligation to pay a debt.

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - gældsbrev, lånebevis, Jeg skylder dig

Nederlands (Dutch)
promesse, schuldbriefje

Français (French)
n. - (abrév = I owe you) reconnaissance de dette

Deutsch (German)
n. - Schuldschein

Ελληνική (Greek)
abbr., -
n. - απόδειξη οφειλής (με ημερομηνία και υπογραφή του οφειλέτη), υποσχετικό

Italiano (Italian)
pagherò (obbligazione di debito)

Português (Portuguese)
abbr. - nota (f) de débito

Русский (Russian)
долговая расписка

Español (Spanish)
n. - pagaré, vale

Svenska (Swedish)
abbr. - I owe you
n. - skuldsedel, enkel revers, löfte

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
借条

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 借條

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 약식 차용 증서(I owe you)

日本語 (Japanese)
abbr. - 借用証書

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) إنني مدين لك ( اختصار عبارة)I owe you‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮פתק אני חייב לך, שטר חוב‬

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