Hushmoney
/ˈhʌʃˌmʌni/noun
Money paid to someone to keep them silent about something.
Did you know?The phrase is transparently English rather than ancient or occult, but its power comes from the older idea that words can be controlled by payment, pressure, and secrecy.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
hycgan
“to think, intend, or consider”
Old English
OE
muneca
“coin, money; a later sense developed through Germanic monetary vocabulary”
14th Century
English
hush
“to make quiet; to silence”
16th Century
English
money
“coinage, currency, wealth”
19th Century
English
hush money
“money paid to secure silence or conceal a scandal”