Indian giver
Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word Indian giver. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word Indian giver, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say Indian giver in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word Indian giver you have here. The definition of the word Indian giver will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofIndian giver, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
See Indian giving.
Noun
Indian giver (plural Indian givers)
- (informal, now offensive) A person who demands the return of or takes back something that was previously given.
- 1920, Peter B. Kyne, chapter 41, in Kindred of the Dust:
- Mark me, he'll never take those bonds.... He gave them to you and he's not an Indian giver."
- 2001, Jon Ippolito, “Whatever Happened to the Gift Economy?”, in Leonardo, volume 34, number 2, page 159:
- He was labeled an "Indian giver"—someone who gives a gift only to ask for it back.
Related terms
Translations
an Indian giver
|