fillip

English

Etymology

From Middle English philippe, filippen (“to make a sound with right forefinger and thumb, snap”). Origin uncertain. Probably an alteration of Middle English flappen (“to hit, slap, clap, applaud”). More at flap.
A fillip gradually became “something of small importance; a trifle.” “The rest is not worth a fillip with the finger.” And, the word could also express a short space of time (perhaps the time it took to “flick” the finger). “The tortoise..in a fillip of the finger was down in the gardens of Riu Gu.” Only in the 18th and 19th centuries did its current usage, as encouragement or stimulus, tend to dominate.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈfɪlɪp/

Noun

fillip (plural fillips)

1. (archaic) A flick; the act of releasing the index finger from the hold of a thumb with a snap.
2. Something that excites or stimulates.

   This measure gave a fillip to the housing market.

   This athlete's victory provided a much-needed fillip for national pride.

Translations

the act of releasing the index finger from the hold of a thumb with a snap

Dutch: knip, vingerknip French: pichenette (fr) f., chiquenaude (fr) f. German: schnalzen (de) Italian: schioccàr di dita

Portuguese: peteleco (pt) Romanian: bobârnac (ro) n. Spanish: papirote Swedish: please add this translation if you can

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

• Japanese: 指を弾く (ゆびをはじく)

Verb

fillip (third-person singular simple present fillips, present participle filliping, simple past and past participle filliped)

1. (transitive) To strike or project with the nail of a finger snapped from the end of the thumb; flick.
2. (transitive) To tap or strike smartly.
3. (transitive) To make a fillip; drive by or as by a fillip; stimulate; excite; whet.

   The spicy aroma filliped my appetite.