noun
- a gratuity, tip, or bribe, especially one given to a person in a position of authority or service
Usage: informal; chiefly historical; from Chinese pidgin English
Examples
- The merchant offered a cumshaw to the customs official to expedite the shipment.
- In colonial trading ports, cumshaw was a common practice among dock workers.
- He slipped a cumshaw to the hotel clerk to secure a better room.
- The captain expected a cumshaw from every trader who wanted favorable docking privileges.
- Without a cumshaw, getting permits processed could take weeks.