Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

propine

verb
pro·​pine | \ prə-ˈpēn How to pronounce propine (audio) , -ˈpīn How to pronounce propine (audio) \
propined; propining

Definition of propine

 (Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

chiefly Scotland
: to present or give especially as a token of friendship

propine

noun

Definition of propine (Entry 2 of 2)

Scotland
: a gift in return for a favor

First Known Use of propine

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for propine

Verb

Middle English, from Middle French propiner, from Latin propinare to present, drink to someone's health, from Greek propinein literally, to drink first, from pro- + pinein to drink — more at potable

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about propine

Statistics for propine

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for propine

The first known use of propine was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century

More from Merriam-Webster on propine

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with propine

Comments on propine

What made you want to look up propine? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

maunder

Listen to the pronounciation of maunder

to wander slowly or to speak indistinctly

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Where in the World? A Quiz

  • peter bruegel tower of babel painting
  • What language does pajama come from?
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Add Diction

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
TRENDING NOW

  1. kangaroo court Trump blocks ambassador from testimony

  2. coup Trump accuses Democrats of overthrow attempt

  3. quid pro quo Speculation mounts over Trump's Ukraine call

SEE ALL
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games