Cash means money in the physical form of currency which consists of coins, currency (paper money), checks, money orders, and money on hand or on deposit in a bank or similar depository. The general rule is that cash is whatever the bank will accept for deposit.
In a narrow sense cash is used broadly to cover currency and generally accepted equivalents of cash such as cheques, draft and demand deposits in banks.
In broad view of cash also includes near cash assets,such as marketable securities and time deposits in bank.
According to L.J. Gitman, "Cash is the ready currency to which all liquid asset can be reduced."
According to John.J. Hempton,” when we mean currency, money deposit in a bank or money held in highly liquid money market instruments, we will use term cash.”
According to Besely and Brigham,” The term cash refers to the funds a firm holds in checking accounts as well as the amount of actual coin and currency it holds.
Cash is this term is one of the six Cs of credit, which loan officers should review in any loan application, referring to the generation of income or cash flow by a borrowing customer.