put
n. countablen. an agreement that gives you the right to sell a stock or asset at a specific price before a certain date. You use this when you think the price of something will go down.
n. an option contract giving the holder the right, but not the obligation, to sell a specified amount of an underlying security at a pre-determined price within a specified timeframe. Often contrasted with a 'call' option.
He bought a put to protect his investment.
Investors often purchase a put when they anticipate a market downturn and want to hedge their existing portfolio.
The trader executed a protective put strategy, securing the right to sell her shares at the strike price despite the sudden volatility in the technology sector.
From Middle English putten, puten, poten, from Old English putian, pūtian ("to push, put out"; attested by derivative putung (“pushing, impulse, instigation, urging”)) and potian (“to push, thrust, strike, butt, goad”), both from Proto-West Germanic putōn, from Proto-Germanic putōną (“to stick, stab”), which is of uncertain origin. Possibly from Proto-Indo-European bud- (“to shoot, sprout”), which would make it cognate with Sanskrit बुन्द (bundá, “arrow”), Lithuanian budė, and budis (“mushroom, fungus”). Compare also related Old English pȳtan (“to push, poke, thrust, put out (the eyes)”). Cognate with Dutch poten (“to set, plant”), Low German paten (“to set, plant”), Danish putte (“to put”), Swedish putta, pötta, potta (“to strike, knock, push gently, shove, put away”), Norwegian putte (“to set, put”), Norwegian pota (“to poke”), Icelandic pota (“to poke”), Dutch peuteren (“to pick, poke around, dig, fiddle with”).
Unknown. Perhaps related to Welsh pwt, itself possibly borrowed from English butt (“stub, thicker end”).
From Old French pute.
Commonly used in the phrase 'put option'; often takes the preposition 'on' to specify the asset.