tribute means an acknowledgment of gratitude, respect or admiration; an accompanying gift. It carries an Arena rating of 1393, earned across 5 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, tribute ranks #1,386 of 25,264 for Qualifying, #2,328 of 14,438 for Most Storied Words, #2,737 of 14,445 for Most Beautiful Words, #3,622 of 14,297 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words.
tribute is pronounced /ˈtɹɪbjuːt/.
Why “tribute” is a great word
A gift, act, or payment intended to show gratitude, respect, or submission, or made by one state to another as a sign of dependence. From Middle English tribut (14th c.), from Middle French tribut, from Latin tributum ('tribute', literally 'a thing contributed or paid'), neuter past participle of tribuere ('to assign, allot'), from tribus ('tribe'). Unlike an encomium, which is formal and verbal praise, or a tax, a compulsory levy, tribute carries a voluntary air of honor and ceremonial weight. It is the wreath laid quietly on a grave, the annual shipment of silver sent to a stronger kingdom, the silence that follows a eulogy—each a vessel of meaning passed from one hand to another, acknowledging a debt that can never truly be settled.
Etymology
From Middle English tribut (14th c.), from Middle French tribut, from Latin tributum (“tribute”, literally “a thing contributed or paid”), past participle of tribuere (“to assign, allot”), usually derived from tribus (“tribe”, which see).
noun
- An acknowledgment of gratitude, respect or admiration; an accompanying gift.“Please accept this as a tribute of our thanks.”
- An acknowledgment of gratitude, respect or admiration; an accompanying gift.; An homage made in a body of work to another work or creator.“Did you catch the Up in Smoke tribute in that episode of That '70s Show?”
- A payment made by one nation to another in submission.“The Ancient Romans made their conquered countries pay tribute.”
- Extortion; protection money.
- A payment made by a feudal vassal to his lord.
- A certain proportion of the mined ore, or of its value, given to the miner as payment.“The setting of a Copper Mine upon tribute , has this difference : the Tributor is at the sole expence of digging , raising , and dressing , all the Ore that can be made merchantable”
verb
- To pay as tribute.“Amorous Trifler, that spendeth[…]his Afternoones in discourse with Paint, or Lust, tributing most precious Minutes, to the Scepter of a Fanne.”
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