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excambie

An obsolete Scottish legal term for the verb excamb, meaning to exchange lands or property.

ɪkˈskæmbi120 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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#1·Apr 28, 2026

An obsolete Scottish legal term for the verb excamb, meaning to exchange lands or property. Scottish law allowed the exchange of lands by an agreement called an excambion, and excambie was the verbal form of that transaction. Entirely archaic and of interest only to historians of Scots law.

The two lairds agreed to excambie their respective parcels of land to consolidate their holdings.
Origin: From Scots legal Latin excambiare, to exchange, from Latin ex- plus cambiare (to change or barter). Editorial expansion authored on Slangora (model-assisted, hedged).
For parents

"excambie" means: An obsolete Scottish legal term for the verb excamb, meaning to exchange lands or property. Scottish law allowed the exchange of lands by an.... This is technical or formal vocabulary, more likely to appear in school work, news or a particular profession than in peer chat. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your child uses the term, it is usually a sign of curiosity about a subject area. A short follow-up question about where they came across it is usually all that is needed.

For ESL learners

"excambie" means: An obsolete Scottish legal term for the verb excamb, meaning to exchange lands or property. Scottish law allowed the exchange of lands by an.... Register: formal or technical English, standard in its specialist domain (law, medicine, science, finance, etc.). Gloss the term with a plain synonym when writing for a general audience. Note the regional or dialect label (obsolete) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short

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#2·Apr 27, 2026

(obsolete, Scotland) To excamb.

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For specific readers

"excambie" means: An obsolete Scottish legal term for the verb excamb, meaning to exchange lands or property. Scottish law allowed the exchange of lands by an.... This is technical or formal vocabulary, more likely to appear in school work, news or a particular profession than in peer chat. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your child uses the term, it is usually a sign of curiosity about a subject area. A short follow-up question about where they came across it is usually all that is needed.

Why is this section here?

Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.

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