Couponing

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process of obtaining and utilizing vouchers to gain discounts or promotional benefits while purchasing items
2. The activity of searching for and applying coupons to lower costs on various products during transactions
3. The practice of using discount vouchers systematically to reduce expenses on purchases of goods or services

Etymology: "Couponing" is a plain formation: the noun "coupon" with the suffix "-ing" added, which turns a thing into the activity connected with it. "Coupon" itself is a much older word, borrowed from French, where it originally meant a detachable part of a document, such as a strip that could be cut off and presented to claim a payment or a share. That sense of cutting off a piece and redeeming it is the core of the modern idea, since a discount voucher is exactly such a strip. The suffix does the rest of the work. Words like "shopping" and "bargaining" follow the same pattern, naming an ongoing activity rather than a single object. So "couponing" describes the habit of collecting, sorting and timing these vouchers, not merely using one.

Synonyms: discounting, bargain hunting, saving, promotional shopping