A gratuity, tip, bribe, or reward money; money given as a gift or reward, especially in Asian trade contexts.
From Chinese Pidgin English, derived from Chinese 'jing shui' (gift or gratitude money) or 'chum shaw' (good luck money); entered English in the 18th-19th centuries through traders and sailors in China.
Cumshaw became part of English military slang and is still used by sailors today—it's a word that proves how some Pidgin English terms had such practical value they stayed in the language even after the colonial era ended.
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