Definitions

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

  • noun A gift, payment, declaration, or other acknowledgment of gratitude, respect, or admiration.
  • noun Evidence attesting to some praiseworthy quality or characteristic.
  • noun A payment in money or other valuables made by one ruler or nation to another in acknowledgment of submission or as the price of protection or security.
  • noun A tax imposed for such payment.
  • noun Any payment exacted for protection.
  • noun A payment or tax given by a feudal vassal to an overlord.
  • noun The obligation to make such a payment.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To pay as tribute.
  • To distribute; bestow; dispose.
  • noun A stated sum of money or other valuable consideration paid by one prince or state to another in acknowledgment of submission, or as the price of peace, security, and protection, or by virtue of some treaty.
  • noun The state of being liable for such a payment; the obligation of contributing.
  • noun Formerly, that which was paid by a subject or a tenant to a sovereign or lord; a tax; rental.
  • noun See the quotation.
  • noun A contribution; an accretion.
  • noun A personal acknowledgment or offering; a mark of devotion, gratitude, or respect.
  • noun In mining, the proportion of ore or its value which a person doing tribute-work receives for his labor.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun An annual or stated sum of money or other valuable thing, paid by one ruler or nation to another, either as an acknowledgment of submission, or as the price of peace and protection, or by virtue of some treaty.
  • noun A personal contribution, as of money, praise, service, etc., made in token of services rendered, or as that which is due or deserved.
  • noun (Mining) A certain proportion of the ore raised, or of its value, given to the miner as his recompense.
  • noun money paid as a tribute or tax.
  • noun (Mining), [Eng.] See under Tributer.
  • intransitive verb rare To pay as tribute.

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

  • noun An acknowledgment of gratitude, respect or admiration; an accompanying gift.
  • noun A payment made by one nation to another in submission.
  • noun Extortion; protection money.
  • noun A payment made by a feudal vassal to his lord.
  • verb transitive To pay as tribute.

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

  • noun payment by one nation for protection by another
  • noun something given or done as an expression of esteem
  • noun payment extorted by gangsters on threat of violence

Etymologies

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

[Middle English tribut, from Old French, from Latin tribūtum, from neuter past participle of tribuere, to pay, distribute, from tribus, tribe; see tribe.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English, from Old French tribut, from Latin tributum ("tribute, literally 'a thing contributed or paid'"), neuter of tributus, past participle of tribuere ("to assign, allot, grant, give, bestow, etc."), usually derived, from tribus ("tribe"); see tribe.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word tribute.

Examples

  • All the Strangers that dwelt in the land, were _tributaries_ to the Israelites -- required to pay an annual tribute to the government, either in money, or in public service, which was called a "_tribute of bond-service_;" in other words, all the Strangers were _national servants_, to the Israelites, and the same Hebrew word which is used to designate _individual_ servants, equally designates

    The Anti-Slavery Examiner, Part 1 of 4 American Anti-Slavery Society

  • All the Strangers that dwelt in the land, were _tributaries_ to the Israelites -- required to pay an annual tribute to the government, either in money, or in public service, which was called a "_tribute of bond-service_;" in other words, all the Strangers were _national servants_, to the Israelites, and the same Hebrew word which is used to designate _individual_ servants, equally designates

    The Anti-Slavery Examiner, Omnibus American Anti-Slavery Society

  • And then later this month, Ed Klein (ph), who did the initial book about JFK Jr. and Carolyn, is coming out with what he calls a tribute to Jacqueline Kennedy.

    CNN Transcript Apr 4, 2004 2004

  • People can give $10 by texting the word "tribute" to the number 20222.

    The Seattle Times 2011

  • People can give $10 by texting the word "tribute" to the number 20222.

    KansasCity.com: Front Page 2011

  • People can give $10 by texting the word "tribute" to the number 20222.

    KansasCity.com: Front Page 2011

  • At the same time this is a label tribute to Fairport Convention because in '70's for me this are the purpose of' 'Greathest Hits' 'albums.

    Latest reviews @ Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website 2009

  • The castles were built by the dukes, and barons, and other feudal chieftains of the middle ages, and they are placed in these commanding positions in order that the chieftains who lived in them might watch the river, and the roads leading along the banks of it, and come down with a troop of their followers to exact what they called tribute, but what those who had to pay it called plunder, from the merchants or travellers whom they saw from the windows of their watchtowers, passing up and down.

    Rollo on the Rhine Jacob Abbott 1841

  • [5] Bloomfield refers to a poem written in tribute to Alexander Pope, for the text of which, see Letter 68.

    Letter 83 2009

  • Ancient empires typically demanded tribute from the conquered.

    One World, Under God 2009

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • "This is not the Greatest Song in the World.

    This is just a tribute.

    Couldn't remember the Greatest Song in the World.

    This is a tribute to the Greatest Song in the World."

    January 2, 2007