Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Bribe
Bribe
(brīb)
, Noun.
[F.
bribe
a lump of bread, scraps, leavings of meals (that are generally given to a beggar), LL. briba
scrap of bread; cf. OF. briber
, brifer
, to eat gluttonously, to beg, and OHG. bilibi
food.] 1.
A gift begged; a present.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
2.
A price, reward, gift, or favor bestowed or promised with a view to prevent the judgment or corrupt the conduct of a judge, witness, voter, or other person in a position of trust.
Undue reward for anything against justice is a
bribe
. Hobart.
3.
That which seduces; seduction; allurement.
Not the
bribes
of sordid wealth can seduce to leave these ever[GREEK]blooming sweets. Akenside.
Bribe
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Bribed
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Bribing
.] 1.
To rob or steal.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
2.
To give or promise a reward or consideration to (a judge, juror, legislator, voter, or other person in a position of trust) with a view to prevent the judgment or corrupt the conduct; to induce or influence by a bribe; to give a bribe to.
Neither is he worthy who
bribes
a man to vote against his conscience. F. W. Robertson.
3.
To gain by a bribe; of induce as by a bribe.
Bribe
,Verb.
I.
1.
To commit robbery or theft.
[Obs.]
2.
To give a bribe to a person; to pervert the judgment or corrupt the action of a person in a position of trust, by some gift or promise.
An attempt to
bribe
, though unsuccessful, has been holden to be criminal, and the offender may be indicted. Bouvier.
The bard may supplicate, but cannot
bribe
. Goldsmith.
Webster 1828 Edition
Bribe
BRIBE
,Noun.
1.
A price, reward, gift or favor bestowed or promised with a view to pervert the judgment, or corrupt the conduct of a judge, witness or other person. A bribe is a consideration given or promised to a person, to induce him to decide a cause, give testimony, or perform some act contrary to what he knows to be truth, justice or rectitude. It is not used in a good sense, unless in familiar language.Definition 2024
bribe
bribe
English
Noun
bribe (plural bribes)
- Something (usually money) given in exchange for influence or as an inducement to dishonesty.
- Hobart
- Undue reward for anything against justice is a bribe.
- Hobart
- That which seduces; seduction; allurement.
- Akenside
- Not the bribes of sordid wealth can seduce to leave these everblooming sweets.
- Remy, this was a bribe! Our whole marriage has been nothing but a series of bribes! - Stuart Graff, Earthquake
- Akenside
Synonyms
- See Wikisaurus:bribe
Derived terms
Translations
inducement to dishonesty
|
|
Verb
bribe (third-person singular simple present bribes, present participle bribing, simple past and past participle bribed)
- (transitive) To give a bribe to; specifically, to ask a person to do something, usually against his/her will, in exchange for some type of reward or relief from potential trouble.
- F. W. Robertson
- Neither is he worthy who bribes a man to vote against his conscience.
- F. W. Robertson
- (transitive) To gain by a bribe; to induce as by a bribe.
- to bribe somebody's compliance
Derived terms
Translations
to give a bribe
|
|