coupon
/ˈkuːpɒn
/noun
1A voucher entitling the holder to a discount off a particular product.The current rates are $5 per day, $28 per week and a reduced fee if the customer uses available discount coupons....
- The lesson in all this: Beware those $20 discount coupons and free flights.
- Besides the trophy, the winning team walked away with attractive goodies, gift and discount coupons sponsored by various organisations.
1.1A detachable ticket entitling the holder to a ration of food, clothes, or other goods, especially in wartime.Petrol, clothing, meat, sugar and other foods were rationed by coupons....
- Taking ration coupons for gas and food down at the general store seemed like the most natural thing in the world.
- The boys he was living with sold ration coupons, so food was always available.
Synonyms
voucher, token, ticket, document, certificate, carnet;
chit, slip, stub, counterfoil, detachable portion, receipt, docket
British informal chitty
North American informal ducat, comp
1.2A detachable portion of a bond which is given up in return for a payment of interest.Bond certificates used to have paper interest coupons attached....
- It is the coupon that will be detached and referred to, and that is where you want your claim.
1.3The nominal rate of interest on a fixed-interest security: the stock carries a 10 per cent coupon...
- The redemption rate for coupons can be expected to run between 2 and 5 per cent.
- Because of the convertible option, the coupon and yield on the bond will usually be lower than the interest rate on a bond of similar maturity that is not convertible: but not always.
- The bonds for $175 million were issued at a face value of $100 with a coupon rate of 2.5 per cent per annum payable every six months.
2A form in a newspaper or magazine which may be sent as an application for a purchase or information.In magazines or newspapers, coupons may be a part of an advert, as we see in Advert 12.3....
- We hope readers everywhere - not just in the areas affected - will sign and send the petition coupons back to us.
- We are backing the appeal, and we include a coupon in the newspaper so readers can send donations or pledge their support.
Synonyms
form, tear-off slip, entry form, application form
2.1British An entry form for a football pool or other competition.Indeed, to take the argument further, how many people will agree that studying football scores and indeed football pools coupons has raised their geographical knowledge of England....
- Friday night's editions will carry a race coupon while entry forms are also available from our Deansgate reception.
- Football coupons were frantically filled and bets were placed on horses and dogs running elsewhere.
3Scottish & Irish A person’s face: he had a big beaming smile on his coupon
verb [no object] (usually as noun couponing) chiefly US
1(Of a business) issue or distribute coupons or vouchers offering discounts on particular goods or services: the company announced plans to reduce its couponing and just cut prices instead...
- This type of checkout couponing offers the ability to target consumers much more tightly.
- For mouthwash and detergent, online couponing makes sense, but the interactive possibilities are limited.
- Through mixed-media promotion and couponing, the product holds the No.1 market share, with the average weekly unit sales goal exceeded by 10 percent.
1.1(Of a consumer) collect and use coupons or vouchers offering discounts on goods or services: couponing has dropped their monthly grocery budget by upwards of $1,100.00 per month since she’d only been couponing for a few weeks, she didn’t have much of a grocery stockpile built up...
- I've started taking couponing seriously.
- Can an extreme couponing craze be behind this recent rise in newspaper thefts?
- I admit to taking my couponing overboard on occasion but the space limitations of my home prevail.
Derivatives
couponer
- Extreme couponers spend hours on web forums researching deals, then use vouchers with bulk-purchase to maximise savings.
- If you want to meet other couponers locally, start a group.
- Rather than buying a useful collection of items, the couponers buy a nearly unlimited supply of whatever is on sale.
Origin
Early 19th century (denoting a detachable portion of a stock certificate): from French, literally 'piece cut off', from couper 'cut', from Old French colper (see cope1).
Our word coupon is borrowed from the French word meaning ‘a piece cut off’, from couper ‘to cut’. In early use a coupon was a detachable portion of a stock certificate which you handed over in return for a payment of interest. It came to be applied to any ticket or voucher that entitles you to something or that you can exchange for goods or cash.