(Latin: "he has undertaken") In common law , an action to recover damages for breach of contract, especially an implied or quasi contract.
It developed in early English law as a form of recovery for the negligent performance of an undertaking (e.g., failing to protect from damage another's goods in one's care). Eventually, it came to cover broader claims regarding failure to keep a promise. It remains available as a contractual remedy in some U.S. jurisdictions.