guerdon

American  

[gur-dn] / ˈgɜr dn /

noun

1. a reward, recompense, or requital.

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verb (used with object)

1. to give a guerdon to; reward.

guerdon British  

/ ˈɡɜːdən /

noun

1. a reward or payment

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verb

1. (tr) to give a guerdon to

Other Word Forms

• guerdoner noun
• guerdonless adjective
• unguerdoned adjective

Etymology

Origin of guerdon

1325–75; Middle English < Old French, variant of werdoun < Medieval Latin widerdonum, alteration (probably by association with Latin dōnum gift) of Old High German widarlōn, equivalent to widar again, back + lōn reward; cognate with Old English witherlēan

Explanation

A guerdon is a reward. The disappointing guerdon for your day spent shoveling your elderly neighbor's driveway might be a little tin of very old licorice candy. The word guerdon, pronounced "GER-dun," is an Old French word that literally means "reward or payment." Though it is rarely used today, there's no reason you can't use it to describe the compensation you get for some achievement, like the guerdon you received when your essay won the writing contest — guerdon is another term for "prize money" in this case.

Example Sentences

To snag the top guerdon at a fake National Spelling Bee, Guy relies on his photographic memory and a certain prospicience about the vulnerabilities of spelling prodigies.

From Time • Mar. 13, 2014

The guerdon of the struggle remained the same; but, by the beginning of the last scene, most of its contenders and nearly all of their weapons had been altered.

From Time Magazine Archive

When "Stunner" Harding was elected President, he returned the guerdon of friendship, taking "Chain Ganger" Crissinger down to Washington to be Comptroller of the Currency.

From Time Magazine Archive

And it may well be that she has now, for her guerdon, been further commissioned to be the recipient and minister of its interpretation.

From The Story of Anna Kingsford and Edward Maitland and of the new Gospel of Interpretation by Maitland, Edward

They cannot understand how others will strive and struggle for years, will stake life itself to secure that precious guerdon.

From Fickle Fortune by Elisabeth Burstenbinder (AKA E. Werner)