fillip
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
Contents |
[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
ca. 1425–75; Middle English philippe to make a sound with right forefinger and thumb; uncert. orig.
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.
[edit] Pronunciation
- IPA: /ˈfɪlɪp/
[edit] Noun
|
Singular |
Plural |
fillip (plural fillips)
- (archaic) A flick; the act of releasing the index finger from the hold of a thumb with a snap.
- 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.
[edit] Translations
the act of releasing the index finger from the hold of a thumb with a snap
|
- 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)
