cumshaw

[ kuhm-shaw ]

noun

1. a present; gratuity; tip.

cumshaw

/ ˈkʌmʃɔː /

noun

1. (used, esp formerly, by beggars in Chinese ports) a present or tip

Word History and Origins

Origin of cumshaw¹

1810–20; < dialectal Chinese (Xiamen) kam siā, equivalent to Chinese gân xiè grateful thanks

Word History and Origins

Origin of cumshaw¹

C19: from pidgin English, from Chinese (Amoy) kam siā, from Mandarin kan hsieh grateful thanks

Example Sentences

Cumshaw, kum′shaw, n. a gift, a tip.

From Project Gutenberg

On the basis of files fed to them by at least one disgruntled former assistant to Dodd, they charged that the white-haired, square-jawed former FBI agent accepted a concatenation of cumshaw from all manner of individuals and companies seeking official favors from him.

From Time Magazine Archive

Yet Senior Chief Petty Officer Bernard G. Feddersen, 35, of the Seabees, is renowned from Danang to the Delta as the sharpest cumshaw artist in all Southeast Asia.

From Time Magazine Archive

It was a perfect situation for cumshaw, and fortunately Bernie Feddersen was on hand.

From Time Magazine Archive

He also throws in plenty of "snivel"�the cumshaw artist's constant con talk.

From Time Magazine Archive