–noun

1.	a person or thing that consumes.

2.	Economics. a person or organization that uses a commodity or service.

3.	Ecology. an organism, usually an animal, that feeds on plants or other animals.

–noun

1.	commendation or honor given for some action, quality, etc.: Give credit where it is due.

2.	a source of pride or honor: You are a credit to your school.

3.	the ascription or acknowledgment of something as due or properly attributable to a person, institution, etc.: She got a screen credit for photography.

4.	trustworthiness; credibility: a witness of credit.

5.	confidence in a purchaser's ability and intention to pay, displayed by entrusting the buyer with goods or services without immediate payment.

6.	reputation of solvency and probity, entitling a person to be trusted in buying or borrowing: Your credit is good.

7.	influence or authority resulting from the confidence of others or from one's reputation.

8.	time allowed for payment for goods or services obtained on trust: 90 days' credit.

9.	repute; reputation; esteem.

10.	a sum of money due to a person; anything valuable standing on the credit side of an account: He has an outstanding credit of $50.

11.	Education. a. official acceptance and recording of the work completed by a student in a particular course of study. b. a credit hour.

12.	Bookkeeping. a. an entry of payment or value received on an account. b. the right-hand side of an account on which such entries are made (opposed to debit). c. an entry, or the total shown, on the credit side.

13.	any deposit or sum of money against which a person may draw.

–verb (used with object)

14.	to believe; put confidence in; trust; have faith in.

15.	to bring honor, esteem, etc., to; reflect well upon.

16.	Bookkeeping. to enter upon the credit side of an account; give credit for or to.

17.	Education. to award educational credits to (often fol. by with): They credited me with three hours in history.

—Verb phrase

18.	credit to or with, to ascribe to a (thing, person, etc.): In former times many herbs were credited with healing powers.

—Idioms

19.	do someone credit, to be a source of honor or distinction for someone. Also, do credit to someone.

20.	on credit, by deferred payment: Everything they have was bought on credit.

21.	to one's credit, deserving of praise or recognition; admirable: It is to his credit that he freely admitted his guilt.

c.1290, from O.Fr. dete, from L. debitam "thing owed," neut. pp. of debere "to owe," originally, "keep something away from someone," from de- "away" + habere "to have" (see habit). Restored spelling after c.1400 from M.E. dette. The KJV has detter three times, debter three times, debtor twice and debtour once.

–noun

1.	an act or instance of consolidating; the state of being consolidated; unification: consolidation of companies.

2.	solidification; strengthening: consolidation of principles and beliefs.

3.	something that is or has been consolidated; a consolidated whole.

4.	Law. a. a statutory combination of two or ede more corporations. b. the union of two or more claims or actions at law for trial or appeal.

5.	(initial capital letter) a steam locomotive having a two-wheeled front truck, eight driving wheels, and no rear truck.

6.	Pathology. the process of becoming solid, as changing of lung tissue from aerated and elastic to firm in certain diseases.

7.	Geology. lithification.