baksheesh

noun

bak·​sheesh ˈbak-ˌshēsh 

bak-ˈshēsh

: payment (such as a tip or bribe) to expedite service

Did you know?

British subjects traveling abroad in the 17th century likely picked up baksheesh in Asia, where they would have heard the term used to mean "gratuity, a present of money, tip"—a meaning they directly adopted. Etymologically speaking, baksheesh is from Persian bakhshīsh, which is also the source of the word buckshee, meaning "something extra obtained free," "extra rations," or "windfall, gratuity." Buckshee never made it across the pond to the U.S., and is strictly used in British English.

Examples of baksheesh in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In Syria, this would have taken days if not weeks, and would have required considerable baksheesh (bribes), which necessarily accompanies every government task big and small. —Firmin Debrabander, The New Republic, 7 Nov. 2022

In Cairo baksheesh is the simplest way to cut through the airport’s tangle of red tape. —The Economist, 29 June 2019

Mr. Trump was a chieftain demonstrating his potency with a flourish of baksheesh. —James Poniewozik, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2016

Word History

Etymology

Persian bakhshīsh, from bakhshīdan to give; akin to Greek phagein to eat, Sanskrit bhajati he allots

First Known Use

1686, in the meaning defined above

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