Definition of "indenture" []

• A contract binding one party into the service of another for a specified term. Often used in the plural. (noun)
• A document in duplicate having indented edges. (noun)
• A deed or legal contract executed between two or more parties. (noun)
• An official or authenticated inventory, list, or voucher. (noun)
• Indentation. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "That ended the supply of cheap labour for sugar cane farming and landowners turned to a new practice called indenture, in which labourers were contracted for a limited period of time."
• "Adults who were poor but could work became servants; an indenture was their ticket to relief."
• "In the securities business, an indenture is a legal contract between a borrower and investors, specifying the terms of a bond offering."