bribe
part of speech
noun (a bribe, bribes); verb (bribe, bribes, bribed, bribing)
meaning for a pupil
1) Money or a gift given to someone to make them do something dishonest or unfair, such as break a rule. tree →
2) (verb) To offer someone money or a gift to make them do what you want, often wrongly. tree →
3) (informal, joking) A treat given to get a child to do something ("a sweet as a bribe"). tree →
sense in the lessons
Used in stories, law and ethics lessons (bribing a judge or police officer is a crime) and jokingly in family life. It tells the reader someone is trying to buy a decision. Phrases: take a bribe, offer a bribe, bribe someone with.
examples
- The guard took a bribe and let the thief go. tree →
- It is against the law to bribe a police officer. tree →
- Mum bribed us with ice cream to tidy our rooms. tree →
- The judge refused the bribe. tree →
- I won't take a bribe, said the referee. tree →
- My little brother can be bribed with stickers. tree →
- Offering a bribe can lead to prison. tree →
- Eriphyle, unable to withstand the tempting bait, accepted the bribe, and thus Amphiaraus was compelled to join the army. tree →
note
Noun: bribery (the crime). Verb bribe, bribed (drop e, add -ed). A reward for good work is not a bribe; a bribe is to make someone do something unfair. In families the word is often used as a joke.
In the corpora
- Cursed be he that taketh a bribe to slay an innocent person.
- And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted justice.
- He that putteth not out his money on interest, nor taketh a bribe against the innocent.
- In whose hands is craftiness, and their right hand is full of bribes.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «bribe» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.