gratuity
(grəˈtjuːɪtɪ)
Also 6 gratuite, gratuyte, 7 gratuetie, -ty, (greatuetie).
[ad. F. gratuité (14th c. in Hatz.-Darm.), or med.L. gratuitās ‘beneficium’, gift, also used as a title of honour, f. grātia, grātus (cf. gratuitous).]
† 1. Graciousness, favour, freq. used of Divine grace or favour; a favour, a kindness. Obs.
| 1523 Hen. VIII in Strype Eccl. Mem. (1721) I. iii. 43 Some manifest Demonstration of Gratuity and Kindness. 1532 Bennet in Froude Hist. Eng. (1881) I. 403, I have not at any time found his Holiness more tractable or propense to show gratuity unto your Highness than now of late. 1543–4 Act 35 Hen. VIII, c. 12 His maiestie..shewed vnto him dyuers and sundrye inestimable gratuities and amities. 1546 Gardiner Decl. Joye xlviij b, Whereby we shuld knowlege his gratuite & goodnes to be so moch the more towardes vs. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 501 All these kindnesses suffised not, nor all these gratuities auayled not to make this king James friendly to the realme of Englande. 1646 Evance Noble Ord. 14 It is not Gods contract with his people, to honour them, that honour him, but Gods gratuitye. [1818 Jas. Mill Brit. India II. v. iv. 440 By concluding a peace, before the reduction of the fort, any allowance to the army was a matter of gratuity, not of right.] |
† b. A gratuitous concession. Obs.
| c 1555 Harpsfield Divorce Hen. VIII (1878) 155 Let us now by way of gratuity grant..that she was a virgin. 1641 Milton Ch. Govt. v. 15 In the former place he tels us he forbeares to take any argument of Prelaty from Aaron..In the latter he can forbeare no longer, but repents him of his rash gratuity..and stiffly argues that [etc.]. |
2. A gift or present (usually of money), often in return for favours or services, the amount depending on the inclination of the giver; in bad sense, a bribe. Now applied exclusively to such a gift made to a servant or inferior official; a ‘tip’.
| 1540 Hen. VIII in St. Papers Hen. VIII, VIII. 410 We entende not to charge Ourself with geving any thing, eyther for a recompense or a gratuite. 1594 R. Ashley tr. Loys le Roy's Variety of Things 44 b, The Countries..gave certaine gratuites and giftes to the king. 1603 Holland Plutarch's Mor. 43 That faire mare Aetha, which he gave him as a gift and gratuitie. 1626 Sir R. Boyle in Lismore Papers (1886) II. 190 [He] sent the town of yoghall..a hundreth pownds ster: for a further gratuety: to the poor of that corporacon. 1637 Earl of Cork Diary ibid. Ser. i. V. 19, iiijli ster: in money..as a greatuetie from me. 1662 J. Bargrave Pope Alex. VII (1867) 137 The Cravat &c...were sent me by one Mr. Tymothy Couley..by way of gratuity, he being one of the 162 slaves that I redeemed from Argeers. 1712 Addison Spect. No. 471 ¶7 When he [Caesar] had given away all his Estate in Gratuities among his Friends. 1758 Johnson Idler No. 29 ¶4, I.. had a small gratuity above my wages. 1768–74 Tucker Lt. Nat. (1852) II. 387 Any gratuity given to Pharaoh or other princes, to resign up their right of dominion over their slaves. 1803 J. Porter Thaddeus viii. (1831) 70 The treasury was soon filled with gratuities from the nobles. 1818 Cruise Digest (ed. 2) IV. 501 No gift or gratuity to an attorney, beyond his fair professional demands..shall be permitted to stand. c 1830 in N. Wood Treat. Rail Roads (1838) 740 No gratuity to be allowed to be taken by any guard, porter, or other servant of the company. 1855 Thackeray Newcomes I. 231 The post-boys quite stared at the gratuity he gave them. Mod. The attendants at this restaurant are forbidden to receive gratuities. |
† b. Payment; wages. Obs.
| a 1637 B. Jonson Underwoods, Petition Poor Ben to Chas. I, A large hundred marks annuitie, To be given me in gratuitie For done service and to come. 1647 in Rushw. Hist. Coll. iv. II. 825 The treasurers of the Army do forth⁓with advance a months Gratuity for the Army. 1673 in Scotsman 21 Aug. (1885) 7/4 To Mr. Geo. Sinclare..by gratuitie for his attendance and advyce..{pstlg}66 13s. 4d. 1832 tr. Sismondi's Ital. Rep. xvi. 347 They were to pay a gratuity of 80,000 crowns to the army which besieged them. |
3. spec. a. A bounty given to soldiers on re-enlistment, retirement, or discharge. b. (See quot. 1815.)
| [1698 Ludlow Mem. (1698–9) II. 819 Promising them their whole Arrears, constant Pay, and a present Gratuity.] 1804 Wellington in Gurw. Desp. (1837) IV. 442 Sir John Kenaway received Lieut. Colonel's gratuity upon the same occasion. 1815 Falconer's Dict. Marine (ed. Burney), Gratuity, in the royal navy, is a recompense or royal bounty made by his Majesty to the widows, orphans, and mothers of sea and marine officers slain in fight with the enemy. Ibid., Gratuities to Officers wounded in Fight with the Enemy, and to Seamen hurt in the service. 1898 Daily News 11 July 7/1 When the Commander-in-Chief calls upon ‘an officer who has not been guilty of misconduct’ to retire, the Secretary for War decides his rate of gratuity. |
† 4. = gratitude 1; also, reciprocity, recompense. Obs.
| 1614 Lodge Seneca 96 The fault is not through our default, but for that disabilitie preventeth our gratuity. 1640 Yorke Union Hon. Battles 24 The King to testifie his gratuity Knighted Walworth. 1660 F. Brooke tr. Le Blanc's Trav. 346 The Captaine, in gratuity [orig. par reciproque], gave to the cheife of them a handsome sword. |
5. = gratuitousness. rare.
| 1858 Hawthorne Fr. & It. Jrnls. I. 267, I like this over⁓flow and gratuity of device with which Gothic sculpture works out its designs. 1861 Times 22 Aug., It is merely gratuitous to talk of a paradox. And the gratuity is all the more marked when [etc.]. 1882 Stevenson Fam. Stud. 365 Such disinterestedness and beautiful gratuity of affection as there is between friends of the same sex. |