Words I Love 024 – Fillip

Here’s today’s great word…

fillip

ˈfɪlɪp/

 

Noun

noun: fillip; plural noun: fillips

1. 1.

   something which acts as a stimulus or boost to an activity.

   “the halving of car tax would provide a fillip to sales”

   synonyms:

   stimulus, stimulation, stimulant, boost, encouragement, incitement, incentive, impetus, inducement, motivation; More tonic, uplift, lift, reviver, spur, goad, prod, push, prompt, aid, help; informalshot in the arm, pick-me-up “they are reducing their lending rates to give a fillip to the housing market”

   antonyms:

   curb

2. 2.

   archaic

   a movement made by bending the last joint of the finger against the thumb and suddenly releasing it; a flick of the finger.

   • a slight smart stroke or tap inflicted with a flick of the finger.

verb

archaic

verb: fillip; 3rd person present: fillips; past tense: filliped; past participle: filliped; gerund or present participle: filliping

1. 1.

   propel (a small object) with a flick of the fingers.

   • strike slightly and smartly.

     “he filliped him over the nose”

Origin

late Middle English (in the sense ‘make a fillip with the fingers’): symbolic; compare with flick, flip¹.

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