PURCHASE  , in its

common sense, that which is acquired by the payment of money or its equivalent . The originalmeaning of the word (O . Fr. pourchacier, pourchasser, &c., popular, Lat. pro-captiare) was to pursue eagerly, hence to acquire . Thus " purchase " was early used by the lawyers (e.g . Britton, in 1292) for the acquirement of property by other means than inheritance or mere act of law, including acquirement by escheat, prescription, occupancy, alienation and forfeiture; more generally, purchase in law means acquisition of land by bargain or sale, according to the law of " vendor and purchaser " (see CONVEYANCING) . A later development of meaning is found in the use of the word for a mechanical contrivance by which power can be excited or applied, a hold or fulcrum . This first appears (16th century) in the nautical use of the verb, to haul up a rope or cable by some mechanical device, the root idea being apparently to " gain " advantage over the rope bit by bit .