1. legal contracts binding a person to work for another for a specified period, especially as an apprentice or servant
Usage: historical; often plural
2. notches or cuts made along an edge, especially for identification or decoration
Usage: technical

Examples

• Many colonial settlers came to America under indentures that required years of labor.
• The apprentice signed indentures to learn the blacksmith’s trade.
• Indentured servants worked without wages until their indentures expired.
• The historical museum displayed original indentures from the 1700s.
• The document’s indentures helped prevent forgery in medieval times.
• Matching indentures on both copies proved the contract’s authenticity.