homage

American  

[hom-ij, om-, oh-mahzh] / ˈhɒm ɪdʒ, ˈɒm-, oʊˈmɑʒ /

noun

1. respect or reverence paid or rendered.

   In his speech he paid homage to Washington and Jefferson.

   Synonyms:

   tribute, honor, obeisance, deference

   Antonyms:

   irreverence

2. the formal public acknowledgment by which a feudal tenant or vassal declared himself to be the man or vassal of his lord, owing him fealty and service.

3. the relation thus established of a vassal to his lord.

   Synonyms:

   devotion, loyalty, fidelity

   Antonyms:

   disloyalty

4. something done or given in acknowledgment or consideration of the worth of another.

   a Festschrift presented as an homage to a great teacher.

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homage British  

/ ˈhɒmɪdʒ /

noun

1. a public show of respect or honour towards someone or something (esp in the phrases pay or do homage to )

2. 1. the act of respect and allegiance made by a vassal to his lord See also fealty

   2. something done in acknowledgment of vassalage

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verb

1. archaic to render homage to

homage Cultural  

1. Under feudalism, the personal submission of a vassal to a lord, by which the vassal pledged to serve the lord and the lord to protect the vassal.

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Etymology

Origin of homage

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English (h)omage, from Old French, equivalent to (h)ome “man” (from Latin hominem, accusative of homō; Homo ) + -age -age

Example Sentences

True cocktail nerds will recognize the ruby-red glass as a homage to those used at Trader Vic’s, the Oakland, Calif.–born chain where the drink originated.

From The Wall Street Journal

The head of state paid homage under rain and grey skies to those killed in the December 14 attack as he embarked on a tightly secured, four-day visit to console the Jewish Australian community.

From Barron's

Those entities, later used for the merger, carried the name K2, an apparent homage to the Kardashev scale—a theoretical framework that illustrates a civilization’s advancement through energy usage, including from stars.

From The Wall Street Journal

As an homage, Chan sculpted a recliner out of snow in front of his house.

From The Wall Street Journal

But you probably know that, courtesy of the many shows and movies paying homage to “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.”

From Salon

Related Words

• allegiance
• deference
• loyalty
• reverence
• tribute