Fund \Fund\, n. [OF. font, fond, nom. fonz, bottom, ground, F.
   fond bottom, foundation, fonds fund, fr. L. fundus bottom,
   ground, foundation, piece of land. See Found to establish.]
   1. An aggregation or deposit of resources from which supplies
      are or may be drawn for carrying on any work, or for
      maintaining existence.
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   2. A stock or capital; a sum of money appropriated as the
      foundation of some commercial or other operation
      undertaken with a view to profit; that reserve by means of
      which expenses and credit are supported; as, the fund of a
      bank, commercial house, manufacturing corporation, etc.
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   3. pl. The stock of a national debt; public securities;
      evidences (stocks or bonds) of money lent to government,
      for which interest is paid at prescribed intervals; --
      called also public funds.
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   4. An invested sum, whose income is devoted to a specific
      object; as, the fund of an ecclesiastical society; a fund
      for the maintenance of lectures or poor students; also,
      money systematically collected to meet the expenses of
      some permanent object.
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   5. A store laid up, from which one may draw at pleasure; a
      supply; a full provision of resources; as, a fund of
      wisdom or good sense.
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            An inexhaustible fund of stories.     --Macaulay.
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   Sinking fund, the aggregate of sums of money set apart and
      invested, usually at fixed intervals, for the
      extinguishment of the debt of a government, or of a
      corporation, by the accumulation of interest.
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Public \Pub"lic\, a. [L. publicus, poblicus, fr. populus people:
   cf. F. public. See People.]
   1. Of or pertaining to the people; belonging to the people;
      relating to, or affecting, a nation, state, or community;
      -- opposed to private; as, the public treasury.
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            To the public good
            Private respects must yield.          --Milton.
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            He [Alexander Hamilton] touched the dead corpse of
            the public credit, and it sprung upon its feet. --D.
                                                  Webster.
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   2. Open to the knowledge or view of all; general; common;
      notorious; as, public report; public scandal.
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            Joseph, . . . not willing to make her a public
            example, was minded to put her away privily. --Matt.
                                                  i. 19.
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   3. Open to common or general use; as, a public road; a public
      house. "The public street." --Shak.
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   public act or public statute (Law), an act or statute
      affecting matters of public concern. Of such statutes the
      courts take judicial notice.

   Public credit. See under Credit.

   Public funds. See Fund, 3.

   Public house, an inn, or house of entertainment.

   Public law.
      (a) See International law, under International.
      (b) A public act or statute.

   Public nuisance. (Law) See under Nuisance.

   Public orator. (Eng. Universities) See Orator, 3.

   Public stores, military and naval stores, equipments, etc.
      

   Public works, all fixed works built by civil engineers for
      public use, as railways, docks, canals, etc.; but
      strictly, military and civil engineering works constructed
      at the public cost.
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