baksheesh

or bak·shish, bak·shis

[ bak-sheesh, bak-sheesh ]

noun

1. a tip, present, or gratuity.

verb (used with or without object)

1. to give a tip.

baksheesh

/ ˈbækʃiːʃ /

noun

1. money given as a tip, a present, or alms

verb

1. to give such money to (a person)

Word History and Origins

Origin of baksheesh¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of baksheesh¹

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

Example Sentences

Well, this guy got extremely annoyed because we wouldn’t give him “baksheesh,” which is bribes in the Arab world, and we wouldn’t give him cigarettes and money and pay his quote, fee, unquote.

From MSNBC

Tipping is deeply ingrained in Egypt and a gratuity is known as baksheesh.

From BBC

To put a stop to this, it has been necessary to offer special baksheesh in proportion to the size of the pieces.

From The New Yorker

Egyptians often selectively target tourists, requesting “qing liang you” from Chinese tourists but “baksheesh,” or gratuity, from visitors from other countries.

From Wall Street Journal

But what fuels the lobbying business is the baksheesh, the legal bribery called campaign contributions.

From New York Times