Lickpenny

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who exhibits extreme stinginess and refuses to spend money on any occasion, portraying an obsessive frugality that affects their lifestyle choices
2. A person who is excessively unwilling to part with money, showing a strong reluctance to spend on even basic needs
3. Someone characterized by an extreme degree of parsimony, often avoiding expenditures to the point of discomfort

Etymology: "Lickpenny" is a compound of "lick" and "penny," and the pairing is more literal than it first appears. "Lick" here carries its older sense of "to take" or "to take away," so the word describes someone who takes away money, or in practice someone who hangs onto it. The word has usually been applied to a person who is tight with cash, and the image is of a miser who would sooner take coins than give them. The second element, "penny," is a common English coin name, and it was used as a stand-in for money in general in many old phrases. Together the two parts describe something that draws away small sums, which is the role of a grasping spender or a fee-seeking person in older usage. The compound is easy to read once the verb is understood, though the word itself is now uncommon and sounds old-fashioned to most speakers.

Synonyms: miser, cheapskate

Antonyms: spender, generous person