Receipt, n. — Webster enters it under “receipt”
Etymology: [OE. receite, OF. recete, recepte, F. recette, fr. L. recipere, receptum, to receive. See Receive.]
1. The act of receiving; reception. "At the receipt of your letter." Shak.
2. Reception, as an act of hospitality. [Obs.] Thy kind receipt of me. Chapman.
3. Capability of receiving; capacity. [Obs.] It has become a place of great receipt. Evelyn.
4. Place of receiving. [Obs.] He saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom. Matt. ix. 9.
4 more senses
5. Hence, a recess; a retired place. [Obs.] "In a retired receipt together lay." Chapman.
6. A formulary according to the directions of which things are to be taken or combined; a recipe; as, a receipt for making sponge cake. She had a receipt to make white hair black. Sir T. Browne.
7. A writing acknowledging the taking or receiving of goods delivered; an acknowledgment of money paid.
8. That which is received; that which comes in, in distinction from what is expended, paid out, sent away, and the like; -- usually in the plural; as, the receipts amounted to a thousand dollars. Cross receipts. See under Gross, a.
2 other Webster entries under this spelling
Receipt, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Receipted; p. pr. & vb. n. Receipting.]
1. To give a receipt for; as, to receipt goods delivered by a sheriff.
2. To put a receipt on, as by writing or stamping; as, to receipt a bill.
Receipt, v. i.
To give a receipt, as for money paid.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for receipts; he lists it under profit.
Where he writes about it:
The returns or receipts include all that is received from an outlay or investment; the profit is the excess (if any) of the receipts over the outlay; hence, in government, morals, etc., the profit is what is really good, helpful, useful, valuable. — from profit