spiff
/spɪf/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.85 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A bonus or other remuneration, given for reaching a sales goal or promoting the goods of a particular manufacturer. Originally from textile retailing, a percentage given for selling off surplus or out-of-fashion stock, of which the sales person could offer part as a discount to a customer.
Countable; Slang
verb
(usually with up or out) To make spiffy (attractive, polished, or up-to-date)
Informal; Transitive verb
Example Sentences
- "“Hah spiff he is to dāay!—he mud be bown tul a wedding!” “He’s spiff eniff for’t!”"
- "Thah is spiff i’ thy new coit."
- "Without a diploma, he relies on spiff alone to climb the corporate ladder."
- "The strongly-recommended piece of cloth was, in the conventional language of the drapery trade, a “spiff” in other words, a remnant of an old stock which had been lying by unsold for three or four years, perhaps longer, and had faded through keeping, like other beautiful things, thereby decreasing in value."
- "The premium takes the form of a commission on goods sold. In some places it is a small premium, or in trade parlance a “spiff” on certain articles, and on others on the amount of sales."
- "She rolled a spiff for us as she spoke, sifting the ganja between her fingers […]"
Etymology
Usage
Inflected Forms
more spiff (comparative)
most spiff (superlative)
spiffs (plural)
spiffs (present, singular)
spiffing (participle, present)
spiffed (participle, past)
spiffed (past)