baksheesh

or bak·shish, bak·shis

[ bak-sheesh, bak-sheesh ]

/ ˈbæk ʃiʃ, bækˈʃiʃ /

(in the Near and Middle East)

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR baksheesh ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a tip, present, or gratuity.

verb (used with or without object)

to give a tip.

Nearby words

Origin of baksheesh

First recorded in 1615–25, baksheesh is from the Persian word bakhshish gift

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for baksheesh

Donkey-boys and arabeah-men aren't easily seduced when there's a question of baksheesh.
It Happened in Egypt|C. N. Williamson
It put an end to baksheesh—graft as you call it—in Thebes, and it would be valuable to-day in Cairo, I should think.
The Ship Dwellers|Albert Bigelow Paine
The next best thing to do is to forget the wish, pay two-pence in baksheesh and ride away to get the most of a glorious view.
The Walls of Constantinople|Bernard Granville Baker
In common with the rest of the world I had heard of baksheesh, but until then I never understood its magic power.
The Making Of A Novelist|David Christie Murray

For the first two years of war he kept out of the army by means of baksheesh.
Eastern Nights - and Flights|Alan Bott

British Dictionary definitions for baksheesh

baksheesh

backsheesh

(in some Eastern countries, esp formerly)

noun

money given as a tip, a present, or alms

verb

to give such money to (a person)

Word Origin for baksheesh

C17: from Persian bakhshīsh, from bakhshīdan to give; related to Sanskrit bhaksati he enjoys

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for baksheesh

baksheesh

1620s, in India, Egypt, etc., "a tip," from Persian bakhshish, literally "gift," from verb bakhshidan "to give" (also "to forgive"), from PIE root *bhag- "to share out, apportion, distribute" (see -phagous).