spiff

¹

[ spif ]

verb (used with object)

, Informal.

1. to make spiffy (usually followed by up ):

   Let's spiff up this office with new furniture.

spiff

²

[ spif ]

noun

1. a bonus or other form of remuneration given to retail salespeople for promoting the products of a particular manufacturer.

verb (used with object)

1. to reward (a salesperson) with a spiff.

Word History and Origins

Origin of spiff¹

1875–80; perhaps v. use of dial. spiff well-dressed; spiffy

Origin of spiff²

First recorded in 1855–60; origin uncertain

Example Sentences

All the videos were snippets of her nonstop campaign to spiff up the home she had just moved into with her husband.

From New York Times

What if we could eliminate many unruly passenger incidents by simply suggesting that passengers spiff up a little before they leave for the airport?

From Seattle Times

Lacy half-curtains spiff up the windows, arched with stained glass, in the narrow front rooms, one painted the color of mint, the second a shade of peach.

From Washington Post

Charming as Street, who spiffs up Malcolm in Boston, the tenor Victor Ryan Robertson largely handles Elijah Muhammad’s muscular high lines but strains to convey his magnetism.

From New York Times

A husband-and-wife duo helps homeowners spiff up their residences in rural Colorado in the new renovation series “Building Roots.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dividend
• fee
• stock
• value