Advertisement
Advertisement
Indian giver
noun
, Informal: Often Disparaging and Offensive.
- a person who gives a gift and then takes it back.
Indian giver
noun
- offensive.a person who asks for the return of a present he has given
Discover More
Sensitive Note
The term Indian giver is now perceived as insulting to American Indians. While it originally referred to a Native practice of giving a gift and expecting an equivalent gift in return, the dissociation of the expression from any authentic custom and its subsequent association with the dishonorable or deceptive behavior of others is disrespectful to Native American peoples and their cultures. Indian.
Discover More
Derived Forms
- Indian giving, noun
Discover More
Other Words From
- Indian giving noun
Discover More
Word History and Origins
Origin of Indian giver1
First recorded in 1825–35
Discover More
Idioms and Phrases
One who takes or demands back one's gift to another, as in Jimmy wanted to take back Dan's birthday present, but Mom said that would make him an Indian giver . This term, now considered offensive, originally alluded to the Native American practice of expecting a gift in return for one that is given. [ Colloquial ; early 1800s]Advertisement
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse