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cheap (c̸hēp)

adjective

  1. low in price or cost; not expensive
  2. charging low prices: a chain of cheap stores
  3. spending or able to spend little: a cheaper clientele
  4. worth more than the price
  5. costing little labor or trouble; easily gotten: a cheap victory
  6. of little value or poor quality; virtually worthless
  7. deserving of scorn; contemptible: made cheap by their own behavior
  8. Informal stingy; niggardly
  9. Econ. lowered in exchange value or buying power; also, available at low interest rates: said of money

Origin: < good cheap, favorable bargain < ME god chep (used as transl. of OFr à bon marché) < OE ceap, a purchase, bargain, akin to Ger kaufen, to buy; ult. < L caupo, petty tradesman

adverb

at a low cost; cheaply

noun

  1. a market: now only in place names: Cheapside
  2. Obsolete a bargain

Origin: OE ceap, market; akin to Dan kjob (ON kaup) as in Kjöbnhavn (Copenhagen)

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cheap (chēp)

adjective cheap·er, cheap·est
  1. a. Relatively low in cost; inexpensive or comparatively inexpensive.
    b. Charging low prices: a cheap restaurant.
  2. a. Obtainable at a low rate of interest. Used especially of money.
    b. Devalued, as in buying power: cheap dollars.
  3. Achieved with little effort: a cheap victory; cheap laughs.
  4. Of or considered of small value: in wartime, when life was cheap.
  5. Of poor quality; inferior: a cheap toy.
  6. Worthy of no respect; vulgar or contemptible: a cheap gangster.
  7. Stingy; miserly.
adverb cheaper, cheapest
Inexpensively: got the new car cheap.

Origin: From Middle English (god) chep, (good) price, purchase, bargain, from Old English cēap, trade, from Latin caupō, shopkeeper.

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