thrift

[thrift]

noun

1. economical management; economy; frugality.

   My father valued thrift, hard work, and self-sufficiency.

   Memories of her thrift and capability inspire me.

2. Also called thrift institution. Banking.,  a savings and loan association, savings bank, or credit union.

   To help the thrifts survive, Congress deregulated the industry, lifting restrictions on the kinds of loans they could make.

3. 1. Also called sea pink. any alpine and maritime plant belonging to the genus Armeria, of the leadwort family, having pink or white flowers, especially A. maritima, noted for its vigorous growth.

   2. any of various similar or related plants.

4. vigorous growth, as of a plant.

5. Obsolete.,  prosperity.

verb (used with object)

1. to buy secondhand, as at a thrift store.

   I thrifted these purple suede pumps for ten bucks.

thrift

/ θrɪft /

noun

1. wisdom and caution in the management of money

2. Also called: sea pink. any of numerous perennial plumbaginaceous low-growing plants of the genus Armeria, esp A. maritima, of Europe, W Asia, and North America, having narrow leaves and round heads of pink or white flowers

3. rare,  vigorous thriving or growth, as of a plant

4. a building society, savings bank, or credit union

5. an obsolete word for prosperity

Other Word Forms

• nonthrift adjective
• thriftless adjective
• thriftlessly adverb
• thriftlessness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of thrift¹

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English, from Old Norse: “well-being, prosperity”; thrive

Word History and Origins

Origin of thrift¹

C13: from Old Norse: success; see _thrive

Example Sentences

A report by Ping An Group observed that “higher-quality products and healthier lifestyles are key to Chinese seniors’ spending habits,” noting that older consumers are shifting away from thrift toward self-care, travel and technology-enabled convenience.

Read more on MarketWatch

Her store, Buffalo Exchange, near the University of Arizona in Tucson, was different than the thrift stores at which Block had spent so much of her free time.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The blanks for his three-piece flatware set, Traynor tells me over the phone, are based on a set of Korean flatware he unearthed, piece-by-piece, serendipitously, from those terrifying thrift store cutlery bins.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He sources discs from garage and estate sales, thrift shops, record stores and vendor events, and listens on a player Sony introduced in 2002.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It’s true you will find $24,000 Eames lounge chairs at Los Angeles vintage stores, but it’s also possible to score name-brand furnishings for a lot less at local thrift stores.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• austerity 
• frugality 
• prudence