/ ˈfɪlɪp; NAmE / noun
[ sing. ] a ~ (to / for sth) ( formal ) a thing or person that causes sth to improve suddenly
SYN boost :
A drop in interest rates gave a welcome fillip to the housing market.
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (in the sense make a fillip with the fingers ): symbolic; compare with flick , flip .