arrher

A rare, mostly archaic verb meaning to pay a deposit (des arrhes) as a down payment securing a purchase or booking. In modern French, the noun arrhes (a deposit) is common in commerce, but the verb form itself has largely fallen out of use in favor of verser des arrhes.

• Le client a arrhé sa commande avant la livraison. — The customer paid a deposit on his order before delivery.
• On arrhait autrefois les baux de cette manière. — Leases used to be secured with a deposit this way.
• Il faut arrher la réservation pour la garantir. — The booking needs a deposit to secure it.

In modern French, learners are far more likely to hear verser des arrhes or verser un acompte (to pay a deposit) than the bare verb arrher, which now reads as dated.