I. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English chepen, from Old English cēapian to buy; akin to Old High German koufōn, Old Norse kaupa, Gothic kaupōn
1. obsolete : to ask the price of : price
2. obsolete : to bargain or bid for
II. ˈchēp noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English chep, from Old English cēap trade, purchase, sale; akin to Old High German kouf trade, koufo merchant, Old Norse kaup bargain, Gothic kaupōn to trade; all from a prehistoric Germanic word stem borrowed from Latin caupo tradesman, innkeeper: perhaps akin to Greek kapēlos tradesman, innkeeper
obs Britain : bargain — now used only in the phrase on the cheap
•
- on the cheap
III. adjective
( -er/-est )
Etymology: cheap (II) (in such phrases as at good cheap at a bargain)
1.
a. : of small cost : inexpensive especially as compared with the going price or the real value
living is cheaper during the summer than in winter
— formerly used with good or great
food is good cheap in a time of plenty
b. : charging a comparatively low price
the cheaper stores
c. : dealing in low-priced goods
the cheap stores along the waterfront
d. depreciated in value (as by currency inflation)
cheap dollars
2. : costing little labor or effort or involving little trouble to obtain : easily obtained or attained
a cheap victory
cheap kisses
— formerly used with good or great
compliments are good cheap
3.
a. : of inferior quality : of small intrinsic worth : shoddy , tawdry , meretricious
the cheap novel does not itself turn back to reality — Bernard De Voto
nothing is cheap about this volume but its price — S.L.Faison
cheap publicity
b. : worthy of scorn or rejection : unredeemed by any fine or lofty qualities : contemptible
a cheap and nasty life — G.B.Shaw
a cheap and vulgar remark
he feels pretty cheap
4.
a. : yielding small satisfaction
cheap entertainment
b. : paying or able to pay less than given amounts
a cheaper class of customers
5. of money : obtainable at a low rate of interest
6. Britain : specially reduced in price
a cheap day ticket to Manchester — S.P.B.Mais
Synonyms: see contemptible
•
- cheap of
IV. adverb
: cheaply
bought the article cheap