Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. Something added on a scale in order to meet a required weight.
- n. Something added only to fill a lack.
- n. A counterweight; a counterbalance.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. Something put in a scale to increase a weight already in it; hence, that which adds weight to something not sufficiently heavy; a thing or person of little account made use of merely to make weight or to fill a gap.
- n. An adulterant, such as sand in sugar, used to increase the weight of a commodity.
Wiktionary
- n. Something of inferior quality which is included in a shipment to make up the weight.
- n. Something included to add to the apparent weight or force of a argument.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. That which is thrown into a scale to make weight; something of little account added to supply a deficiency or fill a gap.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a weight added to the scale to reach a required weight
- n. anything added to fill out a whole
Etymologies
- From make + weight. (Wiktionary)
Examples
“They are on sale only in a very small number of kiosks, and are immediately snapped up by eager buyers, generally with a "makeweight" of non-saleable printed matter.”
“The defenders Jeffrey Bruma or Patrick van Aanholt have been mentioned and Chelsea could explore involving as a makeweight the Serbia defender Slobodan Rajkovic, who is on loan at Vitesse Arnhem but does not qualify for a work permit in England.”
The Guardian: Chelsea set to seal £21.5m deal for Benfica defender David Luiz
“Chelsea have had an offer rejected for the Liverpool midfielder Raul Meireles of £7m plus Yossi Benayoun as a makeweight.”
The Guardian: Chelsea cash plus player bid for Liverpool's Raul Meireles rejected
“Chelsea remain determined to sign Luka Modric from Tottenham, meaning that Benayoun has found himself advanced in a makeweight in those negotiations.”
The Guardian: Chelsea cash plus player bid for Liverpool's Raul Meireles rejected
“Nemanja Matic, the London club's Serbian midfielder who is on loan at Vitesse Arnhem, is also involved as a makeweight in the David Luiz transfer but could potentially complete that move at the end of this campaign.”
The Guardian: Chelsea's chase for Benfica's David Luiz hits snag over up-front fee
“The dynamism and creativity James Milner provided last season is sorely missed and, to make things worse, the man who was a makeweight in that transfer and expected to fill the England international's boots, cannot even get on to the pitch.”
The Guardian: Villa give Gérard Houllier little to cheer in draw with Birmingham
“Marriage, in fact, is seen largely as a series of ratty exchanges in which couples gnaw away at past infidelities: even a makeweight couple, the Bradmans, who pop in periodically to provide ballast to the plot, scratch away at each other's failures.”
“It is only 12 months since the infinitely more dynamic Samuel Eto'o was a makeweight in the ludicrously overpriced deal that took the Swedish striker to Barcelona, though you can tell Ibrahimovic might be on the move because Barcelona are insisting otherwise.”
The Guardian: Cesc Fábregas moving to Barcelona is good business for Arsenal too
“The silliness at the moment is all in the gossip and rumour, such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic being touted as a makeweight in the deal that will take Fábregas to the Camp Nou.”
The Guardian: Cesc Fábregas moving to Barcelona is good business for Arsenal too
“Rumours that the striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be used as a makeweight in the deal show the silly season is here”
The Guardian: Cesc Fábregas moving to Barcelona is good business for Arsenal too
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘makeweight’.
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Gapeseeds and Muckworms - Compound De...
A list of compound derogatory names such as gapeseed, muckworm and lickspittle. Your one-word contributions to this list are welcome.
See sionnach's list derogatory terms I should use ...gapeseed, muckworm, lickspittle, makeweight, bootlicker, backscratcher, apple-polisher, backslapper, brownnoser, rakeshame, yesman, freeloader and 293 more...
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WF - nominal compounds (figurative)
An extensive list I have been working on for quite some time. Feel free to add more of the kind if you miss any.
brainstorming, upside, downside, goldplating, bikeshedding, mudslinging, downgrading, headhunter, streamlining, mainstreaming, gerrymandering, frontloading and 503 more...
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Killjoy et al
Namely, compounds consisting of a verb with a direct object immediately after it, without inflection
killjoy, lickspigot, quakebuttock, throttlebottom, scattergood, scapegrace, swillbowl, tosspot, breakfast, cutthroat, pickpocket, dreadnought and 84 more...
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Just 'cause I like 'em, M
metamerism, malady, margin, marauder, maverick, mercury, mirth, mandible, macerate, meteor, manumission, mica and 292 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for makeweight.
hernesheir I am particularly fond of the oleaginous variety of makeweight. Aug 12, 2010