\Cred"it\ (kr[e^]d"[i^]t), n. [F. cr['e]dit (cf. It.
credito), L. creditum loan, prop. neut. of creditus, p. p. of
credere to trust, loan, believe. See {Creed}.]
1. Reliance on the truth of something said or done; belief;
   faith; trust; confidence.
         When Jonathan and the people heard these words they
         gave no credit unto them, nor received them. --1
                                               Macc. x. 46.
2. Reputation derived from the confidence of others; esteem;
   honor; good name; estimation.
         John Gilpin was a citizen Of credit and renown.
                                               --Cowper.
3. A ground of, or title to, belief or confidence; authority
   derived from character or reputation.
         The things which we properly believe, be only such
         as are received on the credit of divine testimony.
                                               --Hooker.
4. That which tends to procure, or add to, reputation or
   esteem; an honor.
         I published, because I was told I might please such
         as it was a credit to please.         --Pope.
5. Influence derived from the good opinion, confidence, or
   favor of others; interest.
         Having credit enough with his master to provide for
         his own interest.                     --Clarendon.
6. (Com.) Trust given or received; expectation of future
   playment for property transferred, or of fulfillment or
   promises given; mercantile reputation entitling one to be
   trusted; -- applied to individuals, corporations,
   communities, or nations; as, to buy goods on credit.
         Credit is nothing but the expectation of money,
         within some limited time.             --Locke.
7. The time given for payment for lands or goods sold on
   trust; as, a long credit or a short credit.
8. (Bookkeeping) The side of an account on which are entered
   all items reckoned as values received from the party or
   the category named at the head of the account; also, any
   one, or the sum, of these items; -- the opposite of
   {debit}; as, this sum is carried to one's credit, and that
   to his debit; A has several credits on the books of B.
{Bank credit}, or {Cash credit}. See under {Cash}.
{Bill of credit}. See under {Bill}.
{Letter of credit}, a letter or notification addressed by a
   banker to his correspondent, informing him that the person
   named therein is entitled to draw a certain sum of money;
   when addressed to several different correspondents, or
   when the money can be drawn in fractional sums in several
   different places, it is called a {circular letter of
   credit}.
{Public credit}.
   (a) The reputation of, or general confidence in, the
       ability or readiness of a government to fulfill its
       pecuniary engagements.
   (b) The ability and fidelity of merchants or others who
       owe largely in a community.
             He touched the dead corpse of Public Credit, and
             it sprung upon its feet.          --D. Webster.

\Cred"it\ (kr[e^]d"[i^]t), v. t. [imp. & p. p.
{Credited}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Crediting}.]
1. To confide in the truth of; to give credence to; to put
   trust in; to believe.
         How shall they credit A poor unlearned virgin?
                                               --Shak.
2. To bring honor or repute upon; to do credit to; to raise
   the estimation of.
         You credit the church as much by your government as
         you did the school formerly by your wit. --South.
3. (Bookkeeping) To enter upon the credit side of an account;
   to give credit for; as, to credit the amount paid; to set
   to the credit of; as, to credit a man with the interest
   paid on a bond.
{To credit with}, to give credit for; to assign as justly due
   to any one.
         Crove, Helmholtz, and Meyer, are more than any
         others to be credited with the clear enunciation of
         this doctrine.                        --Newman.