Coupon
/ˈkuːpɒn/noun
A voucher or certificate that can be exchanged for a discount, service, or payment.
Did you know?“Coupon” entered English through French from a word meaning “cut off,” because the original coupon was a detachable stub on a financial document that you physically clipped and redeemed.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*keup-
“to bend, to curve, to cut off”
Late Latin
Latin
colpō / colpus
“a blow, a strike”
Old French
Old French
couper
“to cut”
18th Century
French
coupon
“a cut-off piece; a detached voucher or bond slip”
19th Century
English
coupon
“a detachable certificate or ticket, especially for financial or commercial use”
Modern English
English
coupon
“a voucher for a discount or rebate”