[, ] ( deb) (NAmE alsodeˈbenture bond) () a loan for a long period of time on which a company promises to pay a fixed rate of interest; the official document that is given to the lender公司债券；债券ⓘ In Britain, debentures are always secured on the company's assets (= the lender will get property or items of value if the company cannot pay back the money). In the US, debentures are not secured in this way在英国，债券总是要用公司资产作担保。而在美国，债券无须此类担保◆The company issued debentures to certain shareholders.公司向某些股东发行了公司债券。◆The debentures yielded 10% a year in interest.公司债券每年有 10% 的利息收益。◆a debenture holder公司债券持有人naked debenture