reward

English Online Dictionary. What means reward‎? What does reward mean?

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈwɔːd/, /ɹəˈwɔːd/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈwɔɹd/, /ɹəˈwɔɹd/, /ɹiˈwɔɹd/
• (obsolete) IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈwɑː(ɹ)d/
• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)d

Etymology 1

From Middle English reward, rewarde, from Old French reward (“reward”) (compare Old French regard, whence modern French regard, and also English regard through Middle French), from rewarder (“to reward”) (compare Old French reguarder), from re- + warder (“to guard, keep”) (compare Old French guarder); the Anglo-Norman forms are derived from Old Northern French variants of Old French, ultimately of Germanic (Frankish) origin. Compare regard, warden, guard. See more below.

Mostly displaced Old English mēd, whence Modern English meed. Displaced Old English lēan and edlēan.

Noun

reward (plural rewards)

1. Something of value given in return for an act.

   Synonyms: payment, recompense, tithing, meed

   Antonym: punishment

2. A prize promised for a certain deed or catch

   Synonym: bounty

3. The result of an action, whether good or bad.

   Synonym: consequence

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English rewarden, from Anglo-Norman rewarder (“to reward”), from re- + warder (“to guard, keep”), from Old Northern French [Term?], from Frankish *wardōn (“to guard, keep”), from Proto-Germanic *wardōną (“to guard, defend”), from Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to cover, shelter, defend, guard, shut”). Cognate with Old Saxon wardōn (“to guard, provide for, protect”), Old English weardian (“to guard”), Old High German wartēn (“to watch, keep, look after”). More at ward. Piecewise doublet of regard.

Displaced Old English lēanian. In this sense, displaced Old English ġieldan, whence Modern English yield.

Verb

reward (third-person singular simple present rewards, present participle rewarding, simple past and past participle rewarded)

2. (transitive) To give a reward to or for.

3. (transitive) To recompense.
4. (obsolete, transitive) To give (something) as a reward.

Derived terms

Related terms

• award

Translations

Further reading

• James A. H. Murray et al., editors (1884–1928), “Reward, sb.¹”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volume VIII, Part 1 (Q–R), London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 620.
• James A. H. Murray et al., editors (1884–1928), “† Reward, sb.²”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volume VIII, Part 1 (Q–R), London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 620, column 3.
• James A. H. Murray et al., editors (1884–1928), “Reward, v.”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volume VIII, Part 1 (Q–R), London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, pages 620–621.
• James A. H. Murray et al., editors (1884–1928), “† Rewa·rd, pa. pple.”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volume VIII, Part 1 (Q–R), London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 621, column 1.
• “reward”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “reward”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

Anagrams

• Warder, drawer, redraw, warder, warred