# escrow

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɛ.skɹəʊ̯/ · frequency rank #27,449

## Definitions
1. A contractual arrangement whereby money or assets are held in trust by an independent agent by the agreement of the parties, which can only be released to the relevant party once certain contractual conditions have been fulfilled.
2. The money or assets so held.

## Etymology
Learned borrowing from Law French escrowe, from Old French escroe (“register, note; bit of parchment; piece”), from Frankish *skrōda (“piece”), from Proto-Germanic *skraudō, derivative of Proto-Germanic *skraudaną (“to shred”). Doublet of scrow and shred and partially scroll.

## Easily confused with
- **eschew** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eschew-vs-escrow)

## Common misspellings (9)
`ecsrow`, `esccrow`, `escorw`, `escroww`, `escrrow`, `escrwo`, `esrcow`, `esscrow`, `secrow`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/escrow