tribute

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العربية الفصحى
Arabic (Standard)
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/ˈtrɪbjuːt/
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Acts and words of respect, signs that prove someone's value, older payments owed to stronger powers, plus rare verb use and vulgar online slang.
Practice using tribute in conversation until it feels natural

Examples

  • Vassals sent horses and grain as tribute to the lord.
  • The report described non-consensual tributes as online sexual harassment.
  • Floral tributes lined the steps outside the theater.
  • The province was forced to tribute a share of its crop.
  • Chroniclers said the islanders tributed silver to the fleet.

Similar words

toll
yield
testament
accolade
contribute
proof
commemoration
testimony
homage
appreciation

Meanings

Act or gift of respect

noun
culture
neutral
Something said, made, performed, or given to show admiration, gratitude, love, or respect, especially in public or after someone has died.

Examples

  • The choir sang a tribute to the late director.
  • Floral tributes lined the steps outside the theater.
  • The documentary is a warm tribute to immigrant workers.
  • Fans paid tribute to the captain before kickoff.
  • The album works as a tribute to early soul music.

Similar words

homage
salute
testimonial
commemoration
eulogy
accolade
recognition
appreciation

Evidence of worth

noun
evaluation
neutral
Something that clearly shows the value, skill, influence, or good effect of a person or thing.

Examples

  • The restored station is a tribute to the architects' skill.
  • Her calm response was a tribute to years of training.
  • The team's discipline is a tribute to its coach.
  • The garden's health is a tribute to careful soil work.
  • The software's stability is a tribute to quiet maintenance.

Similar words

evidence
testimony
proof
sign
indication
reflection
testament

Payment owed to a stronger power

noun
history
neutral
Money, goods, labor, or another valuable payment given to a ruler, state, lord, or powerful group as submission, protection, rent, or coercion.

Examples

  • The empire collected tribute from border kingdoms.
  • The treaty required annual tribute in silver.
  • Vassals sent horses and grain as tribute to the lord.
  • The city paid tribute to avoid another siege.
  • Records list the tribute owed by each province.

Similar words

levy
tax
toll
impost
payment
rent
exaction

Pay or give as tribute

verb
history
archaic
To hand over money, goods, time, or service as tribute, a rare use now mostly found in older or deliberately archaic writing.

Examples

  • The villages tributed grain to the king each harvest.
  • Chroniclers said the islanders tributed silver to the fleet.
  • A vassal might tribute horses instead of coin.
  • The province was forced to tribute a share of its crop.
  • Few modern writers tribute anything without sounding archaic.

Similar words

pay
render
yield
give
contribute
offer

Vulgar sexual image or act

noun
internet
slang
In adult internet slang, a shortening of cum tribute for an image or act involving ejaculation onto or over someone's picture, often discussed as harassment when non-consensual.

Examples

  • The report described non-consensual tributes as online sexual harassment.
  • Moderators removed a vulgar tribute from the image thread.
  • The forum rules banned requests for cum tributes.
  • Outside adult slang, tribute usually means respect or praise.
  • She blocked users who asked for tributes on her photos.

Similar words

cum tribute
sexual tribute

Etymology

From Middle English tribut, from Old French tribut and Latin tributum, a payment or thing contributed, from tribuere, meaning to assign, allot, grant, or pay.

FAQ

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