legal tender
    n 1: something that can be used as an official medium of payment
         [syn: tender, legal tender, stamp]

Legal \Le"gal\ (l[=e]"gal), a. [L. legalis, fr. lex, legis, law;
   prob. orig., that which lies or is fixed (cf. L. lectus bed),
   and if so akin to E. lie, law: cf. F. l['e]gal. Cf. Lie to
   be prostrate, Loyal, Leal.]
   1. Created by, permitted by, in conformity with, or relating
      to, law; as, a legal obligation; a legal standard or test;
      a legal procedure; a legal claim; a legal trade; anything
      is legal which the laws do not forbid.
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   2. (Theol.)
      (a) According to the law of works, as distinguished from
          free grace; or resting on works for salvation.
      (b) According to the old or Mosaic dispensation; in
          accordance with the law of Moses.
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   3. (Law) Governed by the rules of law as distinguished from
      the rules of equity; as, legal estate; legal assets.
      --Bouvier. --Burrill.
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   Legal cap. See under Cap.

   Legal tender.
      (a) The act of tendering in the performance of a contract
          or satisfaction of a claim that which the law
          prescribes or permits, and at such time and place as
          the law prescribes or permits.
      (b) That currency, or money, which the law authorizes a
          debtor to tender and requires a creditor to receive.
          It differs in different countries.

   Syn: Lawful; constitutional; legitimate; licit; authorized.
        See Lawful.
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Tender \Ten"der\, n.
   1. (Law) An offer, either of money to pay a debt, or of
      service to be performed, in order to save a penalty or
      forfeiture, which would be incurred by nonpayment or
      nonperformance; as, the tender of rent due, or of the
      amount of a note, with interest.
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   Note: To constitute a legal tender, such money must be
         offered as the law prescribes. So also the tender must
         be at the time and place where the rent or debt ought
         to be paid, and it must be to the full amount due.
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   2. Any offer or proposal made for acceptance; as, a tender of
      a loan, of service, or of friendship; a tender of a bid
      for a contract.
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            A free, unlimited tender of the gospel. --South.
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   3. The thing offered; especially, money offered in payment of
      an obligation. --Shak.
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   Legal tender. See under Legal.

   Tender of issue (Law), a form of words in a pleading, by
      which a party offers to refer the question raised upon it
      to the appropriate mode of decision. --Burrill.
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