Bribe

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Bribe, n. [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.].

•  A gift begged; a present.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "Undue reward for anything against justice is a bribe."  [1913 Webster]
•  That which seduces; seduction; allurement.  [1913 Webster]

  "Not the bribes of sordid wealth can seduce to leave these ever"  [1913 Webster]

Bribe, v. t. 

•  To rob or steal.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "Neither is he worthy who bribes a man to vote against his conscience."  [1913 Webster]
•  To gain by a bribe; of induce as by a bribe.  [1913 Webster]

Bribe, v. i. 

•  To commit robbery or theft.  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "An attempt to bribe, though unsuccessful, has been holden to be criminal, and the offender may be indicted."  [1913 Webster]

  "The bard may supplicate, but cannot bribe."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Bribe, v. & n.
--v.tr. (often foll. by to + infin.) persuade (a person etc.) to act improperly in one's favour by a gift of money, services, etc. (bribed the guard to release the suspect).
--n. money or services offered in the process of bribing.

Derivative

bribable adj. briber n. bribery n.

Etymology

ME f. OF briber, brimber beg, of unkn. orig.

THESAURUS

Bribe

Trinkgeld, approach, bait, bonus, boodle, bounty, bribe money, buy, buy off, carrot, consideration, corrupt, donative, double time, encouragement, fee, fillip, fix, get at, get to, graft, gratification, gratuity, gravy, grease, grease the palm, have, honorarium, hush money, incentive, incentive pay, incitement, inducement, instigate, interest, invitation, kickback, lagniappe, largess, liberality, lubricate, lure, oil, palm oil, pay off, payment, payoff, payola, percentage, perks, perquisite, persuasive, pourboire, premium, profit, protection, provocation, purchase, reach, reward, salve, soften up, something extra, sop, sportula, square, stimulation, stimulative, stimulus, suborn, sweeten, sweetener, sweetening, take care of, tamper with, tickle the palm, tip, whet

ROGET THESAURUS

Bribe

Motive

N motive, springs of action, wellsprings of action, reason, ground, call, principle, by end, by purpose, mainspring, primum mobile, keystone, the why and the wherefore, pro and con, reason why, secret motive, arriere pensee, intention, inducement, consideration, attraction, loadstone, magnet, magnetism, magnetic force, allectation, allective, temptation, enticement, agacerie, allurement, witchery, bewitchment, bewitchery, charm, spell, fascination, blandishment, cajolery, seduction, seducement, honeyed words, voice of the tempter, song of the Sirens forbidden fruit, golden apple, persuasibility, persuasibleness, attractability, impressibility, susceptibility, softness, persuasiveness, attractiveness, tantalization, influence, prompting, dictate, instance, impulse, impulsion, incitement, incitation, press, instigation, provocation, inspiration, persuasion, suasion, encouragement, advocacy, exhortation, advice, solicitation, lobbyism, pull, incentive, stimulus, spur, fillip, whip, goad, ankus, rowel, provocative, whet, dram, bribe, lure, decoy, decoy duck, bait, trail of a red herring, bribery and corruption, sop, sop for Cerberus, prompter, tempter, seducer, seductor, instigator, firebrand, incendiary, Siren, Circe, agent provocateur, lobbyist, impulsive, motive, suasive, suasory, persuasive, persuasory, hortative, hortatory, protreptical, inviting, tempting suasive, suasory, seductive, attractive, fascinating, provocative, induced, disposed, persuadable, spellbound, instinct with, smitten with, infatuated, inspired, by, because, therefore, from this motive, from that motive, for this reason, for that reason, for, by reason of, for the sake of, count of, out of, from, as, forasmuch as, for all the world, on principle, fax mentis incendium gloriae, temptation hath a music for all ears, to beguile many and be beguiled by one.

VB induce, move, draw, draw on, bring in its train, give an impulse, to, inspire, put up to, prompt, call up, attract, beckon, stimulate, spirit up, inspirit, rouse, arouse, animate, incite, foment, provoke, instigate, set on, actuate, act upon, work upon, operate upon, encourage, pat on the back, pat on the shoulder, clap on the back, clap on the shoulder, influence, weigh with, bias, sway, incline, dispose, predispose, turn the scale, inoculate, lead by the nose, have influence with, have influence over, have influence upon, exercise influence with, exercise influence over, exercise influence upon, go round, come round one, turn the head, magnetize, lobby, persuade, prevail with, prevail upon, overcome, carry, bring round to one's senses, bring to one's senses, draw over, win over, gain over, come over, talk over, procure, enlist, engage, invite, court, tempt, seduce, overpersuade, entice, allure, captivate, fascinate, bewitch, carry away, charm, conciliate, wheedle, coax, lure, inveigle, tantalize, cajole, tamper with, bribe, suborn, grease the palm, bait with a silver hook, gild the pill, make things pleasant, put a sop into the pan, throw a sop to, bait the hook, enforce, force, impel, propel, whip, lash, goad, spur, prick, urge, egg on, hound, hurry on, drag, exhort, advise, call upon, press, advocate, set an example, set the fashion, keep in countenance, be persuaded, yield to temptation, come round, concede, obey a call, follow advice, follow the bent, follow the dictates of, act on principle.

Compensation

N compensation, equation, commutation, indemnification, compromise, neutralization, nullification, counteraction, reaction, measure for measure, retaliation, equalization, robbing Peter to pay Paul, set-off, offset, make-weight, casting-weight, counterpoise, ballast, indemnity, equivalent, quid pro quo, bribe, hush money, amends, counterbalance, counterclaim, cross-debt, cross- demand, compensating, compensatory, countervailing, in the opposite scale, equivalent, in return, in consideration, but, however, yet, still, notwithstanding, nevertheless, nathless, none the less, although, though, albeit, howbeit, mauger, at all events, at any rate, be that as it may, for all that, even so, on the other, hand, at the same time, quoad minus, quand meme, however that may be, after all is said and done, taking one thing with another, light is mingled with the gloom, every dark cloud has a silver lining, primo avulso non deficit alter, saepe creat molles aspera spina rosas.

Offer

VB offer, proffer, present, tender, bid, propose, move, make a motion, make advances, start, invite, hold out, place in one's way, put forward, hawk about, offer for sale, press, lay at one's feet, offer oneself, present oneself, volunteer, come forward, be a candidate, stand for, bid for, seek, be at one's service, go a begging, bribe.

Giving

N giving, bestowal, bestowment, donation, presentation, presentment, accordance, concession, delivery, consignment, dispensation, communication, endowment, investment, investiture, award, almsgiving, charity, liberality, generosity, gift, donation, present, cadeau, fairing, free gift, boon, favor, benefaction, grant, offering, oblation, sacrifice, immolation, lagniappe, pilon, grace, act of grace, bonus, allowance, contribution, subscription, subsidy, tribute, subvention, bequest, legacy, devise, will, dotation, dot, appanage, voluntary settlement, voluntary conveyance, amortization, alms, largess, bounty, dole, sportule, donative, help, oblation, offertory, honorarium, gratuity, Peter pence, sportula, Christmas box, Easter offering, vail, douceur, drink money, pourboire, trinkgeld, bakshish, fee, consideration, bribe, bait, ground bait, peace offering, handsel, boodle, graft, grease, blat, giver, grantor, donor, feoffer, settlor, giving, given, allowed, allowable, concessional, communicable, charitable, eleemosynary, sportulary, tributary, gratis, donative, auctor pretiosa facit, ex dono, res est ingeniosa dare.

VB deliver, hand, pass, put into the hands of, hand over, make over, deliver over, pass over, turn over, assign dower, present, give away, dispense, dispose of, give out, deal out, dole out, mete out, fork out, squeeze out, pay, render, impart, communicate, concede, cede, yield, part with, shed, cast, spend, give, bestow, confer, grant, accord, award, assign, intrust, consign, vest in, make a present, allow, contribute, subscribe, furnish its quota, invest, endow, settle upon, bequeath, leave, devise, furnish, supply, help, administer to, afford, spare, accommodate with, indulge with, favor with, shower down upon, lavish, pour on, thrust upon, tip, bribe, tickle the palm, grease the palm, offer, sacrifice, immolate.

Purchase

VB buy, purchase, invest in, procure, rent, repurchase, buy in, keep in one's pay, bribe, suborn, pay, spend, make a purchase, complete a purchase, buy over the counter, shop, market, go shopping.

Expenditure

N expenditure, money going out, out goings, out lay, expenses, disbursement, prime cost, circulation, run upon a bank, payment, pay, bribe, fee, footing, garnish, subsidy, tribute, contingent, quota, donation, pay in advance, earnest, handsel, deposit, installment, investment, purchase, expending, expended, sumptuary, vectigalia nervos esse reipublicae.

Reward

N reward, recompense, remuneration, meed, guerdon, reguerdon, price, indemnity, indemnification, quittance, compensation, reparation, redress, satisfaction, reckoning, acknowledgment, requital, amends, sop, atonement, retribution, consideration, return, quid pro quo, salvage, perquisite, vail, douceur, bribe, hush money, smart money, blackmail, extortion, carcelage, solatium, allowance, salary, stipend, wages, compensation, pay, payment, emolument, tribute, batta, shot, scot, bonus, premium, tip, fee, honorarium, hire, dasturi, dustoori, mileage, crown, remunerative, remuneratory, munerary, compensatory, retributive, reparatory, rewarding, satisfactory, fideli certa merces, honor virtutis praemium, tibi seris tibi metis.