earmarking doctrine

Main Entry: ear·mark·ing doctrine
Function: noun
Etymology: probably so called because the loan has been earmarked, i.e., specifically designated, by the debtor to pay a specific creditor
: a doctrine in bankruptcy law: a loan made by a third person to a debtor to enable the debtor to pay off a specified creditor cannot be avoided by the trustee as a preference since the debtor never actually had control of the funds and the transfer does not diminish the debtor's estate