Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To make attractive, stylish, or up-to-date.
  • noun Attractiveness or charm in appearance, dress, or manners.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun uncountable Attractiveness or charm in dress, appearance, or manner
  • noun countable, dated A well-dressed man
  • noun countable A bonus or other remuneration, given for reaching a sales goal or promoting the goods of a particular manufacturer. Originally from textile retailing, a percentage given for selling off surplus or out-of-fashion stock, of which the sales person could offer part as a discount to a customer.
  • noun countable, colloquial, Jamaica a hand-rolled marijuana cigarette; a joint
  • verb to make spiffy (attractive, polished, or up-to-date)
  • verb to reward (a salesperson) with a spiff.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun attractiveness in appearance or dress or manner

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Possibly from dialectal spiff, well-dressed.]

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Examples

  • Not in all cases, but some, a provider may offer what is a called a spiff which rewards agents who sell a quota of services solely from them.

    Article Source 2009

  • As a special little 'spiff', Bell is including NHL wallpapers, ringtones and more as part of the monthly fee.

    IntoMobile 2009

  • As a special little 'spiff', Bell is including NHL wallpapers, ringtones and more as part of the monthly fee.

    IntoMobile 2009

  • Recovery Act funds were under great scrutiny, and there's a valid concern that the more you unleash them without a leash, i.e., send them to others to dispurse, the more you the Feds are going to get whacked when some mayor uses the dough to spiff up his Friday night poker game.

    Jared Bernstein: Direct Job Creation: Why? Why Not?? Jared Bernstein 2011

  • Recovery Act funds were under great scrutiny, and there's a valid concern that the more you unleash them without a leash, i.e., send them to others to dispurse, the more you the Feds are going to get whacked when some mayor uses the dough to spiff up his Friday night poker game.

    Jared Bernstein: Direct Job Creation: Why? Why Not?? Jared Bernstein 2011

  • So Chrysler invested in a range of exterior and interior design changes to spiff up its Chrysler 300, without significantly changing the car's classic architecture.

    Chrysler Targets a More Tempting Interior Joseph B. White 2011

  • I may take some writing time this afternoon and spiff the place up for her.

    Day in the Life of an Idiot lyda222 2009

  • Recovery Act funds were under great scrutiny, and there's a valid concern that the more you unleash them without a leash, i.e., send them to others to dispurse, the more you the Feds are going to get whacked when some mayor uses the dough to spiff up his Friday night poker game.

    Jared Bernstein: Direct Job Creation: Why? Why Not?? Jared Bernstein 2011

  • I kid, I'm sure they'll spiff it up some, especially after the traffic they get today.

    Every Time Zone Makes Elegant Sense Of International Time | Lifehacker Australia 2010

  • Recovery Act funds were under great scrutiny, and there's a valid concern that the more you unleash them without a leash, i.e., send them to others to dispurse, the more you the Feds are going to get whacked when some mayor uses the dough to spiff up his Friday night poker game.

    Jared Bernstein: Direct Job Creation: Why? Why Not?? Jared Bernstein 2011

Comments

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  • Wiktionary

    . . .

    n. countable, dated A well-dressed man

    n. countable A bonus or other remuneration, . . . .

    n. countable, colloquial, Jamaica a hand-rolled marijuana cigarette; a joint

    . . .

    v. to reward (a salesperson) with a spiff.”

    Could you be more specific, please?

    May 16, 2013

  • Seems to be conflation with spiv.

    May 18, 2013