to rehypothecate
- verb
- /ˌriːhaɪˈpɒθɪkeɪt/
- Specialized
- When the market is unstable, banks often rehypothecate loans to mitigate their risk exposure.
Examples
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In a bid to increase liquidity, many firms choose to rehypothecate collateral provided by their customers.
-
The Euro-denominated bond holdings which have been rehypothecated three or four times in The City.
Blog text (6) -
The AG, whoever it is, cannot prosecute Corzine for fraud because the customer deposits were legally hypothecated and rehypothecated to JP Morgan.
Blog text (5) -
The investment bank had to rehypothecate some of its clients' assets to secure additional financing.
Synonyms
To use something valuable as security for a loan
Give property like a car or house as security for a loan while keeping and using it
To use money or property again as security for a loan
Give something valuable to a pawnshop to get money
Surface Forms
Morphology
rehypothecate = hypothecate (transparent) = re + hypothecate
Given knowledge of 'hypothecate', adding 're-' straightforwardly gives the meaning 'hypothecate again or reuse as collateral again'.
Etymology
Rehypothecate comes from re- ('again') and hypothecate, from ancient Greek words meaning 'under' and 'to place', so it literally means to 'place under again' as a pledge. That's why to rehypothecate is to use a client's pledged assets again as security for another loan.