[a. Fr. allocation, ad. med.L. allocātiōn-em, n. of action f. allocāre (see ALLOCATE v.), or perh. direct ad. med.L.]

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  1.  The action of apportioning or assigning to a special person or purpose; apportionment, assignment, allotment.

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1833.  Chalmers, Constit. Man (1835), I. vi. 275. At the first allocations of property.

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1850.  Merivale, Rom. Emp. (1865), VIII. lxiii. 55. Domitian … had respected this allocation of the imperial treasures.

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c. 1854.  Stanley, Sinai & Pal., ii. (1858), 133. The allocation of the particular portions of Palestine to its successive inhabitants.

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1876.  N. Amer. Rev., CXXIII. 456. The whole subtle question of the allocation of powers under the Constitution.

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  † b.  concr. A portion of revenue, etc., assigned to distinct purpose, constituting a fixed charge upon it. Obs.

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1535.  Gardiner, in Strype, Eccl. Mem. (1822), I. I. xxx. 328. In the deductions and allocations … we have followed in our judgment … the words of our instructions.

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c. 1630.  Jackson, Creed, IV. III. iii. Wks. III. 393. Revenues without such allocations or deductions. Ibid., XI. xliii. Wks. XI. 291. We shall be able to make the deductions or allocations somewhat equal.

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  † c.  A portion of revenue settled on a particular person; an allowance. Obs.

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1658.  Phillips, Allocations are also the Allowances of Officers under a Prince or Nobleman.

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  2.  The action of allowing or admitting an item in an account; also, the item so allowed. (A common sense in med.L.)

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1658.  Phillips, Allocation, properly a Placing or Adding to. In a Law sense, an Allowance made upon an Account in the Exchequer.

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1681.  Blount, Glossogr., Allocation … also allowance made upon an account.

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1751.  Chambers, Cycl., Allocation, Allocatio, the admitting or allowing of an article in an account … Allocation is also an allowance made upon an account; used in the exchequer.

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  3.  The placing or adding of one thing to another; disposition, arrangement.

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1656.  Blount, Glossogr., Allocation, a placing or adding unto.

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1755.  in Johnson.

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1838.  Hallam, Hist. Lit., II. III. ii. § 58. 447. That inconsequent allocation of his proofs which frequently occurs in his writings.

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  4.  Placing; fixing in a place; localization.

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1855.  Owen, Vertebr., Introd. 5 (L.). The allocation of the … albuminous electric pulp in a special cylindrical cavity.

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