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perquisite

 - 3 dictionary results

per⋅qui⋅site

  [pur-kwuh-zit]
–noun
1. an incidental payment, benefit, privilege, or advantage over and above regular income, salary, or wages: Among the president's perquisites were free use of a company car and paid membership in a country club.
2. a gratuity or tip.
3. something demanded or due as a particular privilege: homage that was once the perquisite of royalty.
Use perquisite in a Sentence
Origin:
1400–50; late ME < ML perquīsītum something acquired, n. use of neut. of L perquīsītus (ptp. of perquīrere to search everywhere for, inquire diligently). See per-, inquisitive
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
Cite This Source Link To perquisite
per·qui·site   (pûr'kwĭ-zĭt)   
n.  

  1. A payment or profit received in addition to a regular wage or salary, especially a benefit expected as one's due. See Synonyms at right.

  2. A tip; a gratuity.

  3. Something claimed as an exclusive right: "Politics was the perquisite of the upper class" (Richard B. Sewall).


[From Middle English perquisites, property acquired otherwise than by inheritance, from Medieval Latin perquīsītum, acquisition, from Latin, neuter past participle of perquīrere, to search diligently for : per-, per- + quaerere, to seek.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

perquisite 
1450, "property acquired other than by inheritance," from M.L. perquisitum "thing gained, profit," in L., "thing sought after," from neut. pp. of perquirere "to seek, ask for," from per- "thoroughly" + quærere "to seek" (see query). General meaning "fee or profit on top of regular wages" first recorded 1565.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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