bak·sheesh

[bak-sheesh, bak-sheesh] (in the Near and Middle East)
noun
1.
a tip, present, or gratuity.
verb (used with object), verb (used without object)
2.
to give a tip.
Also, bak·shish, bak·shis.


Origin:
1615–25; < Persian bakhshish gift

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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World English Dictionary
baksheesh or in some Eastern countries, esp formerly backsheesh (ˈbækʃiːʃ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  money given as a tip, a present, or alms
 
vb
2.  to give such money to (a person)
 
[C17: from Persian bakhshīsh, from bakhshīdan to give; related to Sanskrit bhaksati he enjoys]
 
backsheesh or in some Eastern countries, esp formerly backsheesh
 
n
 
vb
 
[C17: from Persian bakhshīsh, from bakhshīdan to give; related to Sanskrit bhaksati he enjoys]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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00:10
Bakshish is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

baksheesh
1620s, in India, Egypt, etc., "a tip," from Pers. bakhshish, lit. "gift," from verb bakhshidan "to give" (also "to forgive"), from PIE base *bhag- "to share out, apportion, distribute" (see -phagous).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences from the web
However, bakshish is more akin to tipping and is socially permissible.
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