thrift
thrift Lexical Profile
thrift Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The quality or practice of using money and other resources carefully and not wastefully; prudent financial management.
"Her grandparents practiced strict thrift throughout their lives, saving enough to buy their own home without taking on debt."
A low-growing perennial coastal plant of the leadwort family (Plumbaginaceae, especially Armeria maritima), forming dense grass-like tufts and bearing rounded, globe-shaped clusters of pink, lilac, or white flowers on slender leafless stems.
"Cushions of pink thrift bloomed brightly along the windswept sea cliffs in late spring."
American A financial institution that primarily accepts savings deposits and originates home mortgages, such as a savings and loan association or a mutual savings bank.
"Many local thrifts struggled to remain solvent during the savings and loan crisis of the late 1980s."
• verb
North American To shop at a thrift store, flea market, or garage sale in search of secondhand clothing or household goods at discounted prices.
"They spent Saturday afternoon thrifting in the downtown district and found a vintage leather jacket for ten dollars."
• Rhymes for thrift
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the 13th century from Old Norse þrift ('prosperity, thriving condition'), derived from the verb þrífa ('to grasp, get hold of'), which is also the root of the English verb 'thrive'. Originally meaning good fortune or prosperity, its sense narrowed by the 16th century to refer to the frugal habits that lead to prosperity.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.