baksheesh
bak·sheesh/bækˈʃiːʃ/noun, verb
baksheesh is spelled B-A-K-S-H-E-E-S-H: 9 letters and 2 syllables (bak·sheesh). It appears about once in every 22 million words in written English, the 143,405th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, baksheesh means “In the Middle East or southwest Asia: a bribe or tip” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of baksheesh is baksheeshes.
How many letters and syllables are in baksheesh?
| Letters | 9: B-A-K-S-H-E-E-S-H |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: bak·sheesh |
| In writing | about once in every 22 million words; the 143,405th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is baksheesh?
Baksheesh appears about once in every 22 million words in written English, the 143,405th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce baksheesh?
- /bækˈʃiːʃ/
Baksheesh has 2 syllables, split bak·sheesh in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-baksheesh.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of baksheesh
- baksheeshes plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- bachshish
- bakshee
- backsheesh
- backshish
- backsishe
- bacsheese
- bacshish
- bakhshish
- bakhshîsh
- bucksheesh
- buckshish
- buksheesh
- bukshish
- buxees
- buxies
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does baksheesh mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
In the Middle East or southwest Asia: a bribe or tip.
- 2
slangA minor wound that necessitates the evacuation of a soldier from the combat zone for medical treatment.
verb
- 1
To bribe with a baksheesh.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Baksheesh in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense bribe or tip:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | bakchich |
| German | Bakschisch |
| Portuguese | baksheesh |
| Spanish | baksheesh |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does baksheesh come from?
From Turkish bahşiş, from Persian بخشیش (baxšiš, “present; an honorary or pecuniary gratuity; drink-money”) or بخشش (baxšeš), from بخشیدن (baxšidan, “to give, grant, bestow”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).