Bribe \Bribe\ (br[imac]b), n. [F. bribe a lump of bread, scraps,
   leavings of meals (that are generally given to a beggar), LL.
   briba scrap of bread; cf. OF. briber, brifer, to eat
   gluttonously, to beg, and OHG. bilibi food.]
   1. A gift begged; a present. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
      
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   2. A price, reward, gift, or favor bestowed or promised with
      a view to prevent the judgment or corrupt the conduct of a
      judge, witness, voter, or other person in a position of
      trust.
      
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            Undue reward for anything against justice is a
            bribe.                                --Hobart.
      
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   3. That which seduces; seduction; allurement.
      
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            Not the bribes of sordid wealth can seduce to leave
            these ever?blooming sweets.           --Akenside.
      
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Bribe \Bribe\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Bribed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Bribing}.]
   1. To rob or steal. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
      
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   2. To give or promise a reward or consideration to (a judge,
      juror, legislator, voter, or other person in a position of
      trust) with a view to prevent the judgment or corrupt the
      conduct; to induce or influence by a bribe; to give a
      bribe to.
      
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            Neither is he worthy who bribes a man to vote
            against his conscience.               --F. W.
                                                  Robertson.
      
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   3. To gain by a bribe; of induce as by a bribe.
      
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Bribe \Bribe\, v. i.
   1. To commit robbery or theft. [Obs.]
      
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   2. To give a bribe to a person; to pervert the judgment or
      corrupt the action of a person in a position of trust, by
      some gift or promise.
      
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            An attempt to bribe, though unsuccessful, has been
            holden to be criminal, and the offender may be
            indicted.                             --Bouvier.
      
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            The bard may supplicate, but cannot bribe.
                                                  --Goldsmith.
      
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bribe
     n : payment made to a person in a position of trust to corrupt
         his judgment [syn: {payoff}]
     v : make illegal payments to in exchange for favors or
         influence; "This judge can be bought" [syn: {corrupt}, {buy},
          {grease ones palms}]

78 Moby Thesaurus words for "bribe":
   Trinkgeld, approach, bait, bonus, boodle, bounty, bribe money, buy,
   buy off, carrot, consideration, corrupt, donative, double time,
   encouragement, fee, fillip, fix, get at, get to, graft,
   gratification, gratuity, gravy, grease, grease the palm, have,
   honorarium, hush money, incentive, incentive pay, incitement,
   inducement, instigate, interest, invitation, kickback, lagniappe,
   largess, liberality, lubricate, lure, oil, palm oil, pay off,
   payment, payoff, payola, percentage, perks, perquisite, persuasive,
   pourboire, premium, profit, protection, provocation, purchase,
   reach, reward, salve, soften up, something extra, sop, sportula,
   square, stimulation, stimulative, stimulus, suborn, sweeten,
   sweetener, sweetening, take care of, tamper with, tickle the palm,
   tip, whet

Bribe
   None to be taken; "for the gift maketh open eyes blind, and
   perverteth the cause of the righteous" (Ex. 23:8, literally
   rendered).
   

BRIBE, crim. law. The gift or promise, which is accepted, of some advantage, 
as the inducement for some illegal act or omission; or of some illegal 
emolument, as a consideration, for preferring one person to another, in the 
performance of a legal act.