Bribe | Webster's Dictionary (1865)

Bribe, n.

noun

n. [Fr. bribe, Prov. Fr. brife, a hunch of bread, scrap, leavings of meals (that are generally given to a beggar), L. Lat. briba, scrap of bread, O. Fr. briber, brifer, to eat gluttonously, to beg; Cf. W. briw, fragment, bara briw, broken bread, Armor. brera, brevi, to break.] 1. A price, reward, gift, or favor bestowed or promised with a view to pervert the judgment or corrupt the conduct of a judge, witness, or other person. Undue reward for any thing against justice is a bribe. Hobart. To receive presents, or a bribe, was punished in a judge by death. Prescott. 2. That which seduces; seduction; allurement. Not the bribes of sordid wealth can seduce to leave these ever-blooming sweets. Akenside.

Bribe, v. t.

verbtransitive

v. t. [imp. & p. p. BRIBED; p. pr. & vb. n. BRIBING.] 1. To give or promise a reward or consideration to, with a view to pervert the judgment or corrupt the conduct; to hire for bad purposes; to purchase the decision or testimony of, or the performance of some act by, that is contrary to known truth, justice, or rectitude. Neither is he worthy who bribes a man to vote against his conscience. F. W. Robertson. 2. To gain by a bribe.

Brībe, v. i.

verbintransitive

To give a bribe to a person; to pervert his judgment or corrupt his action by some gift or promise.

An attempt to bribe, though unsuccessful, has been holden to be criminal, and the offender may be indicted. Bouvier.